Harry Potter and the Deathly Video Game
by Timeandvlove
Summary: After he dies Harry Potter is thrust back into the past with new powers. He must seek master these powers before the mysterious beings that have followed him from the afterlife slay him for good. Inspired by Harry Potter, Deus Ex, the Witcher, the Sims, and Risen and countless video game fanfictions.
1. Chapter 1: Flashback

This is a video game fanfiction about Harry Potter. The fanfiction includes time travel, myriad pairings via Sim like mechanics, and Harry Potter seeking to understand the strange mechanics behind the video game world he is in.

It is (obviously) not fully canon compliant. The main point of divergence, other than the video game system, is the difficulty levels which involve various original characters.

The main influences on how the gaming systems will work are Deus Ex (similar skill systems will be used) the Sims (similar diplomacy powers will be used) DnD (it helps me roll a lot of my stuff) along with various general mechanics from fanfictions of the video game sort.

This, the flashback chapter, is about Dumbledore's life. Any reviews, positive or negative, are valued.

* * *

Five years ago.

18 June, 1996

Albus Dumbledore.

He stood in the long Ministry Atrium hall. It had been built in Enlightment times, long before the Ministry even existed. It looked fantastic- dark and hard ebony wood, imported from the east of Africa in Mozambique by the Dutch across the floor, the ceiling painted in Prussian blue with beautiful swirling and golden runes telling of wizards conquering the world and saving the primitive muggles from the various magical monsters and creatures, heavily inspired by the Greek and Roman artwork that had been seen as the pinnacle of art. It was founded on bloodshed, built with ebony slaves from Mozambique to ensure the power of the noble pureblood families. Now it was about be stained with noble blood instead.

He looked at the wizards facing him. Lucius Malfoy, the charismatic genius behind the power, Bellatrix Lestrange, the almighty warrior, Antonin Dolohov, the brutal duelist. A host of others of lesser power- Rabastan, Augustus, Walder, Crabbe, Avery, Jugson, Nott, Mulciber. They stood, wands at the ready, faces tight and filled with anger, wearing their Death Eater masks and robes- though their masks were no barrier to his sight. He knew each well by their mannerisms from extensive experience. He stood alone, facing the half circle of death eaters.

Lucius strolled forward, ahead of the group. 'Albus, I didn't expect to see you here.' He bowed, every gracious and proper. 'But we have a goal and you are in our way. We outnumber you eleven to one, and soon our lord will be here. We should fight another day.'

Dumbledore could see the nervousness and fear in them. In the past they could likely have slain him- Antonin, Bellatrix and Lucius together could match him in a duel, and with him pinned down by the three a killing curse could bypass any defence he had. Still, a number of them would likely be slain before he lost. Things had changed since then. He spoke to the group.

'Let me give you a counter offer- surrender now-' He swiped his wand down and non verbally summoned a lash of angelowater which whipped around his feet and body, a swirling vortex of magical power. '-or die to my wand.' He saw a flashing sign appear in the air. **Intimidate roll: 4. Failure. **He sighed. Sometimes the dice went against you, and he had done little to optimize his intimidate skill. The death eaters did look notably shaken but the strength of their group held them firm. He would have better success with the order backing him but he was very tired of seeing them die.

Lucius calmly laughed, and then drew his stick-wand up. 'I am very sorry we couldn't come to an agreement. Time for you todie.' The other ten drew up their wands. Dumbledore stood there, hands empty, staring at them, waiting for them to make the first move.

Then, after they glanced at each other, confirming their actions, they all fired curses. A rainbow of color shot at him, deadly curses and jinxes that would tear his skin, rend his spirit, poison him. Dumbledore used his magic and activated his prepared trap- a torrent of transfigured living stone erupted from the ground, slamming around him, resisting their spells. He summoned Fawkes to his side after that, and used him to teleport, bypassing the anti apparition wards of the ministry. A moment later he appeared behind Mulciber, his arms around the man's neck. An expert in mental magic and mind control. Not a skilled duelist. With a powerful snap of his arms and a bright flash of **Unarmed Ability: Bonecrusher** he broke the man's neck.

A spell smashed into his back, a chopping curse. Blood gushed out of his back as the spell ripped him open. His health bar, floating above his head, was cut in half along with him. Then the charm on his body activated, along with his trollish alchemical enhancements. The curse wound, too strong with magic to be quickly healed, split, smaller and weaker versions of the spell spreading out all over his arms and legs and face. He looked and saw that Walder had hurled the spell at him and was sending another.

Dumbledore slashed his wand to the side, prepared a technique summoning up a vivid red shield of light, looking past the flashing lights in the air- **Kinetic Protego (Merlin)** to block the purple lash that Walder shot at him, sending it rebounding back at the death eater. A moment later he flicked his wand and sent a **Divinis Artemis (Monster)** to smash Walders's purple shield and spear out his dark heart. The silver bolt smashed through the shield like it wasn't there, smashing through the death eater. The death eater collapsed to the floor, his bloody insides spread out behind him like devil's wings, his health at **-31. **

One of the Lestrange pair swore at Dumbledore and sent two curses his way. He could see the curses as they flew on wings of black magic, **Blood Boiling Curse (Half-blood), **twisting and spiralling red helixes. He couldn't dodge both in time, so, he paused time.

He had for a very long time been trapped in a time loop. He would go through his years in Hogwarts, seeing these strange floating symbols that spoke of what was in the world, and at the seventh year time would loop again. He would go to the waypoint, be healed up, and sent back in the past. This was the 168th loop. He had, in that time, made some improvements. The ability to pause time was one of them He couldn't move much, he couldn't interact with anything not time locked, but he could use items.

He pulled his cloak open. Inside the thick grey cloak he had potions vial containing a **Foot Lightning Potion (Merlin)**. It had originally been made for a France man, Hugo Schmitz, to help them dance and impress the ladies, though eventually the wizard who had made it had burnt out from the inside from too much use at the middle of a royal gala. He chugged it down, wincing at the bitter taste. After that he chugged down a **Bloodloss potion (Merlin)** to restore his lost health. He had learnt a lot from magical creatures. He'd found a way to partially copy Troll's insane durability by dividing curse wounds across his entire body . It kept him standing, but he'd still lost a lot of blood He waited for it to take effect while he looked around at the situation.

As had happened many times before the death eaters sought the prophesies and he sought to deny them. Bellatrix had summoned a massive wreathe of fiendfyre which was slowly going to surround her companions, blocking any more teleportation attacks and denying his sight. Lucifer was already preparing a powerful curse that would likely blast through his shield. The others were hurling smoke and environmental affects that would attack him if he teleported to the wrong place, cling to him if invisible. He noted their locations. His feet started to tap. He was faster.

He unpaused time and leapt to the side out of the way of the curse while flicking the cloak of invisibility over his body, hiding him from the site of that angry pair. He heard a thud as the ground behind him was twisted and cursed by the magic.

The Lestrange siblings started sending a barrage of curses at him, firing blindly at his invisible form, zoning in on him whenever his wand glowed under the invisible cloak, guided by the smoke in the air that sought to cling to his form despite his invisibility. Green and purple lights flashed by his sides, his skin boiled and blistered as the acidic smoke forced its way through the cloak.

He retreated under the fire and ducked behind a white pillar, pressing his back to it and ignoring the booms of marble tearing off the pillar. A label flashed up in front of him. **Full Cover.** Good. That meant a sixty percent miss chance, even higher with his agility. The strange mechanics of this time loop didn't even require him to move. He could simply stand still and his agility would make spells miss and avoid him- as they did, flashes of light and magic smashing near his exposed legs and arms. He didn't have long though, Bellatrix's fiendfyre could destroy the marble with ease.

He flicked his wand at the ground. From it a pillar arose made of stone, ripped out of the floor. **Stone Golem (Master) HP- 30/30**. He pushed his magic into it and felt its nature, the veins of different stones, the feelings the stone had from a hundred walking across it. He pressed to the stone soul of the creature and asked it for its aid in defending this sacred hall. It agreed, its simple mind pleased for a chance to fight enemies of the state, and surrendered control to him. He then cast his power around it, and out of the pillar stepped a tall, powerful human shaped stone creature, body creaking with each twist.

He then cast the Gemino charm on the Golem and it started to duplicate. It hadn't agreed to that, but he had control now so it didn't matter. With the Elder Wand he could maintain around sixty of them. They served their purpose well enough. They could be slain easily enough by a skilled wizard but unless they could destroy more than thirty in a second they would keep fighting. A cheap golem rush could delay most foes.

The golems started sprinting towards the Death Eaters, biting and slashing at them with teeth and claws of stone. He saw an indicator in the top right very quickly tick up to **Force limit 60** along with a map of the room that displayed all his enemies and allies. Another of his inventions that he'd managed to tie into the time loop- he could very quickly see any part of a battlefield, zoom in on any section and organize those he controlled. He saw half a dozen Golems them explode from a sea of yellow arrows of light that Lucius had fired. A moment later six more attacked Lucius, trying to bash down his shield and racking their claws and faces against his shield. He started giving the golems orders and commands to try and isolate Lucius from the rest.

His danger sense pinged, a giant red arrow warning him of danger. He twisted quickly, dismissing the map and getting his wand ready and saw a death eater, Dolohov according to the indicator above his head, flying with a spelled robe, a trail of black smoke behind him and a blue shield emanating from his wand. Dumbledore flicked a curse off at him. Dolohov took the curse straight on, but his shield took most of the blast, leaving Dolohov with little more than cracked skin. Dumbledore couldn't get another curse off in time- to physical combat then.

This time loop spell let you invest the power of those you defeated into skills. Before this loop he had never fought a person through the simple power of his fists. He had never needed to, relying on the (immense) strength of his magic to win as gentlemen were supposed to. Now was different though. There were limits to how much of this power he could gain- you gained a bit of power each time you slew a person, but if you slew them again in another loop you gained no fresh power. You could very very slowly train a skill up when you ran out of delicious souls. He had a long time to get stronger.

He yanked Dolohov out of the air and slammed him against the pillar. **Unarmed Combat (Half-Blood) +1 point flashed up.** Dolohov's health didn't go down though, indicating some protective charm that allowed him to resist physical trauma. Dolohov responded a moment later by slashing his wand at Dumbledore and sending a long thin green line of force at him.

It bit in deep, leaving a bloody gash of blood on his chest. He'd likely be dead were it not for the cloak's charms which had dulled its force- his health was red at a quarter. He resolved to end the battle before the man used a stronger curse that could end this loop early. He paused time.

Magical creatures were powerful. They had unusual and potent magical abilities that spells couldn't replicate. Their bodies were often used in potions to make especially potent magics. With transfiguration you could become one. He pointed his wand at his head and cast a transfiguration spell, changing his head to that of a dragon. He unpaused.

He opened his mouth from his mouth shot red and yellow fire that poured out over the man. Dolohov managed to cast a **Flame Freezing Charm (Wizard)** stunningly fast but the sheer potency of the fire left his face covered in boils and burns. Dolohov flew away while roaring in pain, his hitpoints at half. Dumbledore summoned a rope that lunged out to grab Dolohov's feet and slam him down. The rope whipped up and down, smashing him against the floor again and again. Up, down, up down, till his spirit flowed into the resurrection stones, fueling it's power. He felt a rush of strength, the power of Dolohov's soul invigorating him along with **6000 experience points**. He then paused and opened up his level up menu- he thought he would level up intimidate this time- perhaps on the next run he could reduce their numbers a little. He pushed the power in, listened to the 'level up' bleep and, checking the situation.

Most of the golems had been lashed to the ceiling or walls or floor by now, disabled. He had given those who were incapacitated orders to not replicate, but he was running out of golems. Lucius was in an isolated position though. He had backed away from the rest and was now hemmed in by their own smoke. Ready to pick off and slay. Bellatrix was advancing towards his position, a torrent of fiendfyre lunging forward. He got ready to create a fresh distraction near her and then attack Malfoy. His wrist then bleeped. His tracking jinx on Voldemort indicated he was about to arrive. No time for Lucius.

The ministry had powerful jinxes blocking any apparition, stronger ones preventing apparition into Floo fireplaces, but phoenix magic could go many places forbidden by wizard spells. He summoned Fawkes and wreathed himself in flames, **Phoenix Teleporting (Master)** into the Floo flames.

He appeared behind Voldemort as Voldemort stepped into the Ministry through the Floo flames. He moved first.

In his head he spoke a dark, guttural incantation in the dark tongue to summon fiendfyre. A gush of cursed fire rushed out of his wand, burning his hand with the heat. Voldemort screamed for a second as he became a pillar of screaming pain and died, his soul burnt out with the dark magic.

The death eaters stopped fighting, staring shocked at him. Dumbledore struck a powerful pose, the fire coiling around him. Some drama was necessary. He called out to them, amplifying his voice with a wandless spell.

'Your master is dead. Surrender now or-'

'Crucio' spoke a voice behind him, filling him with agony. Draco. The boy kicked Dumbledore's wand aside and stamped his foot onto Dumbledore's chest sending fresh bursts of agony through him. His golems all collapsed, no longer guided by him. As Dumbledore shock and spasmed with pain Draco ripped the invisibility cloak off Dumbledore. He took it, along with Dumbledore's wand.

'You shouldn't... be here.' Said Dumbledore, agony lancing through him. Draco had never been here before. He had seen this scene a hundred times and never seen Draco.

Draco grinned, and drew his shirt up, revealing a muscular and toned chest and a twisting, black tattoo of a dragon that writhed and twisted.

'This good enough for you?' He drew his shirt down again and knelt down to Dumbledore, pressing his wand to Dumbledore's throat and began searching through Dumbledore's clothes

'Where is it?' Asked Draco, kicking Dumbledore's side.

Dumbledore stared back with hatred at Draco, unable to move his muscles.

'The stone, where is it?'

Dumbledore managed to force himself to speak again. 'I'll die before I tell you.'

'That can be arranged.'

Bellatrix ran to their side, grabbing Voldemort's singed remains. She pulled him close and shot a look of hatred at Dumbledore.

'You killed him. You bastard.' she shouted at Dumbledore, fists clenched, her face crinkled with rage.

Malfoy shook his head and spoke.

'He's got the resurrection stone somewhere. If we can get Dumbledore to talk we can resurrect Voldemort. You can get your kinkies on with him.' Draco's words caused a sudden change in Bellatrix's body, making her relax and smile.

'I'll do it. I never really thought much of you but you really matured. Thank you Draco.'

Bellatrix drew her wand and jabbed it at Dumbledore

'Crucio'

Pain, far more intense than what Malfoy had given him, smashed through every Occulmency barrier Dumbledore had. He screamed in pain.

He didn't hear the Imperio from Malfoy. He felt it though. Through gritted teeth he heard himself saying.

'The stone of resurrection is in my chest.' Malfoy drew his shirt off again revealing that mark of one of the seven, those terrifying beings that made his travels through time unpredictable and dangerous while seeking to take his hollows for their own. A shadow twisted out from Draco's chest and formed into the form of Ariana, the sister Dumbledore had murdered.

'I hate you.' said the shadow sister. His sister stabbed her hand into his chest, ripping a bloody hole of bones and organs from his flesh. Dumbledore curled into a ball away from the punch. More and more shadows launched out of Draco's chest, shouting out their hate of Dumbledore, ripping into his body, towards that place where he had wrapped the resurrection stone in dynamite. Just before the explosion began he resolved to kill him. He would kill Draco. Then there was a flash of light and then he felt nothing.

* * *

**-The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living. Marcus Tullius Cicero**

The death screen flashed before his eyes. He was on the floor of the way station, bloody and barely together and above him various messages flashed saying how well he had done. He didn't care to look. He closed his burnt eyes.

**The game's over and finished good try Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian _Dumbledore_**

**Stats. Str. 12. Dex. 9. Cont. 15. Wis 4. Int 22 Char 16.**

**You have gained 3 new abilities, 4 skill levels, 3 potions and 3 new spells. Click to see full power list.**

**Want to know how well you did at life? Here's the point tally. **

**Level o' monster. 1500 points. Five years live. 65 points. Powers endless. 169 points. Multi-monsters -200 points. Lucretia's kill: -91 points. Died as a virgin. -114 points. No kisses for me. -16.**

**And...Half-Blood!**

**No bonuses approved for you. Try again next time.**

**Want to know every decision you made right or wrong? Click here.**

**You have unlocked the new char skin: Albus Dolohov**

**Wear the skin of the deadly duelist, scarily shock your friends and family. **

**Helpful tips- sustained happiness comes from appreciating what you already have and your relationships, not from outside and beyond as power does lie.**

**w13131313131313131313131313e13131313131313131313131313s13131313131313131313131313e13131313131313131313131313e13131313131313131313131313y13131313131313131313131313o13131313131313131313131313u13131313131313131313131313a13131313131313131313131313l13131313131313131313131313b13131313131313131313131313u13131313131313131313131313s**


	2. Chapter 2: A taste of power

Second Chapter. In video games you often start off with a rather overpowered character who has all the spells and potions and abilities so you can get a chance to try out the system. This is that chapter.

* * *

Present day

30 June, 1997

Main Character: Harry Potter.

That had gone surprisingly well. The pair of them, Harry and Dumbledore, had gone to Voldemort's cave to retrieve his Horcrux, the dark magic that let him live past death. That had turned out to be a fake and then they went to Grimmauld Place after some quick thinking. The place had been freaky. He never wanted to see a plant with spiked tentacles again. That had worked well enough though thanks to some quick thinking with a lamp and an incendio and now they had Voldemort's locket Horcrux.

They flew through the dark night towards Hogwarts, the air whistling in their ears as they flew. As they approached the castle Harry saw something, a dark mark, a wicked grinning green skull with a serpent tongue and with floating arms that ended in sharp claws that glowed a bright rose red, hung above the astronomy tower.

'Look at that!' Harry said.

Dumbledore calmly nodded. 'I see it. Death Eaters in Hogwarts. I am shocked. No one could have predicted this turn of events. We should complain.' Harry waved his arms at the castle to try and make Dumbledore care.

'It's too late for that now. They could be killing people now! We have to stop them!' said Harry.

Dumbledore gestured at the astronomy tower with his wand.

'Let's ambush them from behind. Come with me.'

The pair of them flew over the rampart walls together, soon landing in the deserted tower next to the spinning planet model. Dumbledore stood there silently, not moving, his eyes flickering over nothingness, on occasion waving his hands through the air like he was pushing something aside. Harry waited. It looked... weird but maybe this was what magic users were supposed to do? One of the planets, Pluto he thought, caught his eye. It seemed to be broken, passing over the same point again and again. He glanced up again at the misshapen dark mark.

'What does it mean?' Harry asked Dumbledore 'Is it the real mark? Do you think someone has, really- Professor?'

Dumbledore had sprung to action. He shot sparking balls of light at each of the planet globes, making each of them glow for a moment and slow down.

'Magical traps, for the fight ahead. You were born into trials and troubles and you have made a great man of yourself, Harry.'

Harry nodded. 'Thanks? But we should be going.'

Dumbledore flicked his wand and from the end a massive torrent of dirt and stone erupted, forming into a huge ball. With a wave of his hand Dumbledore sent streams of the dirt into the floor where it seemed to vanish into it.

Dumbledore spoke again, in his ominous tone. 'Hidden golems of earth to defend us. You never sought power like I did but rose to the challenge and did what was necessary. Darker times lie ahead of us, of magic and blood and sorcery and you have grown strong but you will and should not face them alone. ' Harry tightened his grip on his wand.

'Are you luring them up here somehow? Is that why you're charming this place up?

Dumbledore drew out several vials from nowhere and downed them one after the other.

'You got it. I knew you were smart.'

In the dim green and red light from the dark mark Harry saw Dumbledore holding out his hand, and his long wand.

'I have a plan to save us all. Take my wand and give me yours then hide under the cloak, stand by that door' he gestured at the door to the lower parts of the castle with thick chains on it 'with my wand facing outwards. Stay silent. Trust me.'

Harry bit his lip and gripped his wand ever tighter. 'But it's my wand. I can't...' his voice trailed off. Dumbledore walked over him and drew him into a deep hug. He flinched for a moment, then hugged him back. He felt his heart stop racing and relaxed into the comforting smell.

Dumbledore drew back and held his hand out again. 'I need you to trust me Harry. Give me your wand.'

Harry nodded and limply handed over his wand, then took Dumbledore's. Harry pulled away and went under his invisibility cloak, standing by the thick wooden door, arms wrapped around his body defensively. Dumbledore muttered a few quiet words and Harry's wand extended and changed shape to look long and bulbous like Dumbledore's wand. Dumbledore then flicked his hand and Harry's broom rolled into a hidden corner, making a group of spiders flee into cracks in the castle.

No sooner had the last charm been done than the chains on the door started to glow a bright blue and untwist. A moment later the door flew open. Someone rushed through and shouted: 'Expelliarmus' Harry felt a warm happy feeling spread through his body, and felt completely contented. He felt pretty chill under the cloak.

It was Draco Malfoy. That was pretty rad. So he was a death eater? Woah, big shock, another Slytherin death eater. He suppressed an urge to giggle. Expelliarmus didn't make you this happy. He resolved to think about it later when he felt a bit less buzzed. He saw his wand flying over the wall and realized what had happened: Dumbledore had cast a cheering charm on him and in that split second lost his wand. Dumbledore was such a great guy. Pity about his wand. You win some, you lose some.

Dumbledore looked calm and showed no fear as he stood firm on the ramparts. He stared Draco in the face and said. 'Good evening, Draco.'

Malfoy looked around to check they were alone and then started walking towards Dumbledore. 'I heard voices. Who else is here?'

'Are we ever really alone when we are in the heart of another? Though from the sounds of it, you're alone this time.'

'No.' Malfoy said. 'I'm not alone. I got my people in here. Right under your nose. You play at being so wise but really you are an easy to fool old man. And I have a job to do. They believe in me.'

'Very well, then do it, dear Malfoy. You should take your wand and slay me, prove yourself a good death eater' said Dumbledore.

There was silence. Harry stood still, as did Malfoy.

Dumbledore stared at Draco intently and spat to the side, then spoke, his voice filled with disgust.

'Draco, Draco, you are not a killer. They want you because you're their bus driver. You're like Stan Shunpike, a glorified courier with a bit of magic. You failed at killing a Weasley, you don't have the killing intent to slay me. You repaired the vanishing cabinet, true, after months of botched charms and failures, and your people are downstairs.' A muffled scream came from below 'Doing the actual work. You have the magic of a squib and are too much of a coward to slay me. You are a useless betrayal of your family's name, Draco, a squib in a fancy robe.' Malfoy was getting progressively more angry and agitated at each word. Harry wondered why Dumbledore seemed to hate Draco so much, why he was letting loose. Loose. Loose. Harry liked that word, and contemplated how it sounded as he stood still, awaiting some command.

'You are a useless coward, and I am getting really tired of your whining and stupidity you disgusting squib and-' Draco shouted at him. 'I'm not a squib! I'm not a coward. I can do this.' He drew a potion vial from his robe and chugged it down. Draco's body begin to shift, his muscles growing thicker, scales forming over his skin. His eyes went yellow and slitted like a snake. 'Snape gave me this.' Dumbledore frowned sharply at this' 'He said I could be strong. I-'

'No' Said Dumbledore, as he flicked his hand and Harry saw the a tentacle of earth form from the floor behind Draco and then lance out like a snake, smashing Draco from behind. Draco was flung down to the ground, his head smashing against the floor with a mighty thud. Blood started to leak out of his skull across the floor from the injury and the transformation stopped. So that was what the earth trap was for. Harry was a little surprised but not really offended, and leaned back against the wall.

Dumbledore stretched out and smiled at Harry. 'Draco is fine, don't worry. Just a minute or two more. They'll be here soon. You're doing great.

They stood there waiting as Draco's blood spread across the astronomy department's floor. Harry thought he heard a light moaning from Draco but didn't check. Dumbledore had made him so happy with the cheering charm and he wanted to obey him and he trusted him completely. Dumbledore was great. If he said Draco was fine he was, and that was that. And if he died, well, the world wouldn't be that much worse off with one less snake.

A little while later Harry heard a bang and shout from down below. It sounded like someone was rushing up the spiral staircase. Dumbledore then winked at Harry and leaned over, as if he was trying to grab Malfoy's wand. A short while later footsteps smashed loudly on the stairs and four individuals in black robes came in. With a flash of magic one knocked the wand away from Dumbledore's hand. Dumbledore backed away, hands up.

Still feeling no urge to move, Harry gazed in mild curiosity at the backs of the four individuals, the buzzing happiness in his head growing stronger. He hoped none of his friends had been injured when the death eaters won the fight, but he generally didn't care about much. It wasn't his responsibility to babysit them. Though a small part of him seemed to be yelling at him to do something. Best to wait though.

A lumpy and disgusting looking man with a lopsided leer gave a wheezy half laugh.

'Dumbledore wandless, all alone. I'm going to enjoy feeling you die under my wand. All at the cost of one silly boy. I guess you could say Draco...' The man looked at Draco, smashed into the ground. 'fell' from grace' The woman by his side, whose lumpy face bore a resemblance to the man gave an angry titter at this joke.

Another man, a huge one with mattered grey hair and whiskers who smelt of blood and dirt and sweat, with long yellowed nails, spoke. 'I can smell your wandless magic. We're charmed against that. Accidental magic can make playing with kids so... difficult.' He gave a grin, showing off pointed teeth that dripped with blood. 'And I do love playing with kids. ' Harry felt that voice screaming in his head again. Was Hermione OK? Ron? Luna?

Dumbledore spoke. 'Fenrir, Fenrir, you are such a player. And now the whole gang is here...'

Harry heard Dumbledore speak in his mind. Yield to me, Harry. Don't resist. Let your magic fuel this and my will and dominance guide our wand. Harry, trusting the voice, let Dumbledore take control of his body.

'Imperio, Imperio, Imperio, Imperio.' In less than a second he sent the four spells out through the cloak, the absolute need to control from Dumbledore filling his mind. The first three flew true and took control of three of the death eaters but Fenrir swung round and threw up a spell which deflected the curse, sending another curse a moment later at Harry which he hurriedly blocked.

There was a flash of light around Fenrir. The earth reared up from the floor slowly. Fenrir lept over it and moved away, laughing?

'You think I can't see a wandless trap? I told you, I'm used to these childish tricks.' He flicked a purple line of light at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore deflected the charm with his hand sending the charm smashing into the wall and charged forward, lightning fast. Fenrir slashed his claws at him, leaving a bloody gash across Dumbledore's chest as he grabbed Fenrir by the shoulders. Dumbledore leaned forward and opened his mouth, a gush of fire rushing out. Fenrir screamed as his flesh sizzled, soon falling limp in Dumbledore's hands, his head black and cooked like an overdone stake. Dumbledore dropped the limp body to the ground and turned to Harry.

'Transfiguration. So many uses. Be free.' He waved his hand at Harry.

Harry felt the control leave his mind and realized he had been under the Imperius curse. He hadn't even been close to being able to resist it, it was so strong. He got out from under the invisibility cloak.

'Why... did... you? How could you? Force my will, like Voldemort?' He shook the wand at Dumbledore's face. 'You raped my mind'

Dumbledore smiled at him, his eyes glinting brightly and walked over to him. 'We can talk about that, but first, high five?' Dumbledore held his hand up. Harry looked shocked. 'You agreed to obey me, Harry. High five me. You cannot disobey me now.' said Dumbledore, his eyes dark and cold, his voice allowing no disobedience. Harry listlessly held his hand up, staring into Dumbledore's eyes with hate, and Dumbledore high fived him. This strange task done, Harry spoke in a calmer but still agitated tone.

'Ok, done. Look, I get why you did it, to win but you broke my will. You gotta promise not to do it again. I'll cast whatever you say. I'll cast Imperio for you. But don't use that on me.' Dumbledore smiled at him. 'High five again?' Harry stared at him confused. Dumbledore spoke again, his tone cold. 'You promised to obey, Harry. Are you going to break your promises?' Harry high fived him reluctantly.

He felt his pulse cool. These were really fun high fives. 'I guess I get it. You're a great wizard and you needed someone to fight for you. But couldn't you have asked?' Dumbledore nodded. 'I could have. High five, my champion?' Harry shrugged and high fived Dumbledore again, a slight frown on his face.

Harry felt pretty good about Dumbledore. He was his champion. It was weird how just a few seconds ago he had hated Dumbledore but now he trusted him again. 'You defeated them for me, fought to save me. With some crazy moves. Thanks for that. I guess the Imperius is ok.' Dumbledore nodded. 'One more for luck?'

Harry grinned and high fived Dumbledore. 'Dumby, my friend, thank you for Imperiusing me, any time, you are a fine guy.' He leaned over and pulled Dumbledore into another hug. 'Thank you. By the way, why did you do it?' Dumbledore opened his hands out wide.

'Love is the greatest and most glorious force in the world. Our greatest strength, and greatest weakness. I can now, with those death eater's aid, capture all of Toms forces, using their love and trust against them.'

Harry nodded. 'That seems like a really smart plan, like the reverse of what they want to do with the ministry, only a great wizard of great goodness would say that.' Dumbledore smiled and spoke again. 'Thank you. When his armies' He gestured to the three death eaters who stood still and stared listlessly into the distance 'are on our side Tom will-'

As Dumbledore spoke excitedly, Harry saw a figure rise up on a broom behind Dumbledore, past the ramparts, one with long flowing hair. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could do anything they attacked.

A massive pulse of water shot through the room, slamming into Dumbledore like a waterfall. Dumbledore was smashed to the floor and driven to the wall by the pulse, unable to resist it's force. The water then swept across the three captured death eaters, knocking them down to the floor. Harry felt his body freeze up at the same time, his muscles stiff, completely unable to move. A spell?

The person landed, riding Harry's broom. A woman in a skimpy black outfit with long black curly hair, an insane look in her eyes, fingers dripping red with blood and glowing with magic. Bellatrix. That torturing bitch. Harry tried to move but was unable to force himself to even flex his finger.

She walked over to him, and ran her fingers across his cheek, then again with her nail slicing a bloody gorge across his face. She then drew her red blood soaked finger up to her lips. 'Tastes like... Harry Potter. My words are breath, simply that, but immortal nonetheless. You are mine now, forever. I will bind you utterly and make you care for nothing but my words. But first I have your professor to talk to.'

She turned to Dumbledore. He lay against the wall his limbs twisted at awkward angles, nothing but his eyes and lips moving.

'I loaded the water with a paralytic and I used a non verbal tempus fugit on you after. You won't be escaping, Dumbledore. But don't worry, soon you won't want to.' Harry struggled against the magic that held him but couldn't escape. Harry couldn't believe this was happening.

She drew a potion out of her top and a black collar. She started fastening the collar around Dumbledore's neck as he lay there, unable to move.

'I heard you're gay, Dumbledore. You like the boys. You like a bit of man on man love.'

'Hello to you too, Sappho. You are as direct as ever.' said Dumbledore

'Hey, I like what I like. And what I hate is repression. I want you to let your gayness out.' said Bellatrix.

'You're one to talk. You follow Tom like a sick puppy but don't say a word.' She pulled Dumbledore's head to her and fastened the black collar around the back of his neck.

'He'll work out soon enough that my bite is more fun than my bark.' She bit at the air. 'There, the collar is done. Just so you don't try anything stupid I'll tell you how it works. It will bind to your soul beyond death and help us track down your waystation. We broke the encryption on the defences- Lucretia managed to bind a fragment of her soul to yours last time and got it into the system. We know what you're doing. We know about the way station.' said Bellatrix.

'That's really good spellwork. I'm really impressed. How did you manage to solve the contamination issue?' said Dumbledore. Bellatrix beamed at him and started speaking with great enthusiasm.

'I saw what you did with the arrow- very impressive work by the way, mixing wizard magic with light. I worked out a similar way to do it with divine magic. If you align the spell matrix with the divine matrix along a fourth and fifth dimensional axis you can get substantial crossover between them and a certain person' She pushed a finger into Dumbledore's chest 'who has a habit of teleporting away is easy to track. That doesn't stop the contamination as you said, for that you-' Dumbledore reached towards a pocket in his robes and grabbed a potion from there, moving it straight to his lips. Faster, Bellatrix smashed it aside, the red liquid smashing on the stone floor.

'Oh you smart boy, you got me monologuing. Don't worry, I didn't get any glass shards in my hand. I'm surprised you can still move as I loaded that water up with enough paralytic to stop an elephant. Hold on a second. I'll do what I came here to do. I made a love potion for you and Voldemort. You can be gay again. And this one is eternal. It's got some spiritual power in it too.'

Bellatrix leaned down to him and grabbed his face, forcing her potion liquid into Dumbledore's mouth. She pressed her hand to his nose and mouth and held her hand as Dumbledore shock and spasmed, trying to escape her. Eventually he drew in a desperate breathe and the fluid went into him.

She spoke again, her voice deeply seductive 'Come to me, Dumbledore, loosen me from my agony of loneliness. Fill his body with your fiendfyre. Stand up, be by my side, and be my ally. I can feel you resist, occumency hiding the magic's glory. Love will end that. Give in to love. Let love loosen your limbs. Your fate will not be too bad. Accept the bittersweet end and love him with me.'

Dumbledore stretched out an arm, weakly trying to push her back, coughing up fluid that Harry suspected had gone into his lungs. Bellatrix grasped Dumbledore's hand and held it to her chest. 'Talk to me, my fellow lover. Your mind is divided against itself. Given into the change, tell me you need Voldemort.'

Dumbledore tried to say something but failed, coughing up potion. 'What was that dearie?' Bellatrix asked, running her hand across Dumbledore's old wrinkled face. Dumbledore spoke again. 'Sun.'

The large star at the center of the astronomy model yanked itself out, along with all the planets. The mercury model zoomed through the air like a bludger at Bellatrix, forcing her to dive to the side to dodge it. The sun model smashed at Harry's feet sending out a bright blue light that freed him from whatever had paralyzed him.

With a smash Bellatrix blasted the Mercury model away with a red curse. She laughed madly, sending blasts of light out from her wand at incredible speed to explode the zooming planet globes. 'This trickery won't stop me. I can sense the love potion twisting your soul ever further, even if you flee your love for Voldemort will come to dominate you. We're this close to finding where you flee too as well. We won.' Dumbledore stood up quickly, and drew the ring, the other horcrux of Voldemort off his finger. 'Catch.'

He tossed it to Harry, who caught it readily. Bellatrix roared with rage, charging at Harry, smashing aside a Jupiter model that was wreathed with flames. Harry felt his body lurch and he was tossed out of the way of Bellatrix, riding a wave of earth. He struggled to his feet again as Bellatrix turned to charge at him. Dumbledore gestured and earth erupted from the floor, trying to smother Bellatrix and crush her. 'Harry' Shouted Dumbledore. 'Trust me, jump out of the window.' Harry nodded, willing to do anything for that amazing man, and ran to the window and jumped. Behind him he saw a flash of light and a booming explosion but he ignored it, leaping to the ground.

For a few moments as he rushed through the air Harry questioned how his life choices had lead to him committing suicide, then he hit the ground and died.

* * *

Moments later Harry woke up. He was in the Hogwarts entry hall on the staircase with four large glowing letters in front of him.

'NEUES SPIEL'

'SPIEL LADEN'

'OPTIONEN'

'MITWIRKENDE'

He blinked. He blinked again. 'What?'

* * *

I often question my life choices when I am playing video games. It would feel really weird to make a lot of the choices I make them make.

Sappho was a Greek woman who lived thousands of years ago and helped raise lots of very cute ladies to be good little wives.

The text is in German. New game, Load Game, Options, Cast. Albus had his text in German for yet to be revealed reasons but could mentally translate it. Harry can't.

Again, reviews are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3: Idiosyncratic Difficulty

In video game fanfictions characters always seem to go for the easiest option. This troubles me. I like danger and excitement.

* * *

Harry panted, swinging his head around wildly while the gigantic blue letters floated in front of him. His heart was racing. Had he apparated? He tried to apparate back to the tower but felt the familiar pressure of the Hogwarts charms stopping him. He called out to the room.

'Hello? Is anyone there?'

No one answered him. He was in the currently empty Hogwarts entry hallway, halfway up the oaken stairs. It was a magnificent room with fantastic images of strange creatures etched in the wood, twisted candleholders that held dozens of bright candles, marble statues of old wizards, wands pointing to the sky, of man and centaur united in friendship, one of a crying woman holding a dagger to her chest. Gentle music played in the background. He had no clue how he had apparated here through the barriers but it wasn't where he should be. He had to get to his friends and help them and find someone to stop Bellatrix.

He turned heel and started running up the stairs and collided head first with a previously invisible blue barrier that had formed over the exit.

He fell to the floor, red thick blood gushing out of his nose and splattering onto the floor.

He twisted over, facing down and leaning on his elbows, and drew Dumbledore's wand out and pointed it at his own face.

'Episkey.' With a loud crack his nose set back into place. He was really glad he had that spell. He'd had a lot of cracks and falls in Quidditch, it was a brilliant charm to use. It didn't fix anything other than the skin and connective things but it would hold you together even if you were breaking apart.

He carefully got up and swayed, still feeling dizzy. He blinked several times till his vision cleared and then looked at the barrier.

It had vanished again, except for a spot in the middle where his blood covered shining blue light. It responded to touch? He kicked at the air at the bottom of the barrier. A wave of blue spread from where he kicked. Perhaps it was some death eater curse? He had to find an exit anyway, his friends needed him. Damn this barrier.

He swung his fist at the barrier hard, trying to force his way through. His hand bounced off the barrier with little impact on it beyond making a ripple of blue spread out and hurting his hand. He took a deep breath, flicked his arms out in a calming motion, letting his worries fall out. He had to work out if there was an exit.

He stuck the wand out and flicked it in a wavey motion. 'Aquamenti' From the tip gushed a jet of water that he swung around the area. The blue barrier started to glow all around him as it was covered with water, on the stairs up and down, on every exit, even above and below him. There was no easy escape that he could see. He had coated every available surface in water and the room glowed bright blue now from every direction.

He turned back to the letters again.

'NEUES SPIEL'

'SPIEL LADEN'

'OPTIONEN'

'MITWIRKENDE'

It looked like some sort of foreign language. Maybe some kind of riddle only death eaters could solve? He was good at riddles. He'd try reading it out first.

'Neues spiel-'

The bottom three letters vanished from sight and the NEUES SPIEL letters grew in size, flashing brightly. Harry quickly summoned up a shield, ready for attack. None came. The letters vanished with a puff, and the music in the background stopped. Harry swung his head around. The barriers around him still held.

He looked back. In front of him the water that had barred his way had fallen to the ground. The statue in front him were starting to change, their stone bodies turning to flesh. He watched wand at the ready.

They were him. There were seven of the statues each versions of him at a different age. He glanced over each while noting their features.

One was a very young ten year old version of him wearing nothing but underwear and cringing away from some threat, with floating purple letters above it that said MUGGEL. Muggle? That was pretty insulting.

The second was an eleven year old year old version of him wearing a muggle shirt and shorts that couldn't seem to keep a grip on his wand and kept dropping it, with floating purple letters above him that said SCHLAMMBLUT. He had no clue what that meant.

The third was a twelve year old version wearing a tattered oversized mangy pink robe that could hold its wand but seemed to want to pick his own nose with it. Blue letters next to it said TIERWESEN. 'TeeharWeeson.' He said. No clue.

The fourth was a thirteen year old version of him that had a steady grip of its wand, holding it in front of him to ward off some thread, wearing a normal black Hogwarts robe. Green letters that floated by his head said HALBBLUT. Half blood maybe?

The fifth was a fourteen year old version of him that confidently held his wand, ready for a fight, and wore a prefect's badge as well as a well made Hogwarts robe. Glowing yellow letters that floated above him said REINBLUTIG. He also had no idea what that meant.

The sixth was a fifteen year old version of him, about his own age, whose wand glowed with power and magic, wearing a fine cut black robe and a headboy badge. Glowing orange letters said ZAUBERER for this one. That was not at all clear.

The sixth was an older version of him, a year or two older, he wasn't sure. He wore a hip length brown jacket with a purple waist coat, sharp and snappy black trousers, and held a broomstick in one hand, a wand in the other. The statue's eyes tightened with deadly purpose. Intense glowing red letters next to him said MERLIN. That was clear enough.

Harry spoke. 'Hello, why are you me?'

The status all turned to him and started babbling at him in some harsh sounding language. He tried to understand them but nothing they said made sense. He waved his hand at them. 'Ok shut up. You're not helping. You can't make me understand your babble just by speaking louder.' The statues looked ashamed for a moment and then went back to their poses, occasionally glancing at him.

He looked over the statues. Maybe this was some sort of Hogwarts defence system? It would transform him into one of them so he could be stronger? There was no way of knowing. He had to get out of this trap so he had to make a decision even if he didn't know. He had to know now, for Ginny, for Hermione, for Ron. He gripped his wand tightly and spoke.

'Merlin.'

* * *

German translations.

'NEUES SPIEL'=New Game

'SPIEL LADEN'=Load Game

'OPTIONEN'=Otpions

'MITWIRKENDE'=Cast

Muggel=Muggle

Schlammblut=Mud-blood,

Tierwesen= Monster

Halbblut=Half-blood

REINBLUTIG=Pure-blood

ZAUBERER=Wizard

Merlin needs no translations.

Reviews are appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4: Only a flesh wound

The statue of Harry slipped its wand into a pocket and stepped down off its stone podium, blinking several times as if it woke up. He then looked Harry right in the eyes, running his eyes all over Harry, inspecting him. Harry sort to question it.

'Hello there. I really need to go help my friends. Can you help me? I don't know what you are or why I've been taken here but they're in danger. I need to go save them.'

The statue stepped up to Harry, hooking his broomstick under one arm. Harry looked at the broomstick. A rather poorly maintained firebolt, not well polished, with ragged twigs at the end- whoever owned it clearly did not know proper broomstick care. It looked like it would belittle faster than a Nimbus 200. The statue pressed a hand to Harry's chest, not speaking. Harry stepped back, but the statue stepped with him, holding his hand on Harry's chest. The lights of the hall grew dim and the statue's hand started to glow blue, sending pulses of light out. Harry looked at the statue- he looked very determined, worried. The statue's face glowed in the dark like a lamp with each flash, his face responding to each flash with a light blue flash in return. Harry stood there, bemused.

'Is this some kind of test?' The statue's hands stopped pulsing and he drew Harry close to him.

'Wo ist Dumbledore?' It said, teeth clenched, slamming him back against the wooden wall with inhuman speed. 'Wo ist Dumbledore?' it repeated. Harry smacked the statue's hands away and pushed it back. Before it could fall to the wall Harry cast stupefy on it, freezing his enemy's attack. The statue slumped to his knees, still clearly conscious, but able to move little but his hate filled eyes, its broomstick and wand

'I've been trying to tell you, stoney. If I don't go back Dumbledore will die. I have to go back.'

'Sie werden ihn töten?' said the statue, looking at him, desperation on its face.

Harry sighed. This statue was as easy to understand as Binns in a lecture.

'If you can understand me, nod, if you can't shake your head.'

The statue slowly nodded, eyes fixed on him.

'Good. If I go through that door- Harry gestured at the door to his right, away from the stairs, large and ornate, made of thick stone with carvings of cherubs and angels on it,'-will I be able to get to my friends?'

The statue slowly nodded again, muttering words under its breath in what sounded like a very angry tone. Harry ignored this, too annoyed to care about some magically animated statue. He didn't have time to deal with this.

'Fine. I'm going to go then. You're pissing me off.' He turned and started to go to the door when the statue spoke again.

'Sie werden ihn töten?' The statue had a pleading tone, hands stretched out desperately on the floor, its expensive jacket rumpled and folded with its awkward contortions, the jacket slipping off one shoulder.

Harry sighed. 'Yes, fine, whatever. And now I'm going. Goodbye. Enjoy being a statue' The statue looked up, eyes glinting hatred. 'Fass!' Harry heard the sound of grinding and turned his head. Another of the statues attacked, the foppish first year version in knickers and nothing else. With a twist and a step Harry stepped to the side as the young statue charged at him and crashed to the ground, its arm cracking off and sliding across the floor, without a drop of blood. Statue. It sounded more like stone hitting wood than flesh too. It was definitely a statue.

The rest of the statues were slowly getting off their podiums, more weary, glancing at each other and slowly moving. The exit was blocked.

'I don't want to fight you all, but I am faster and will win. Just let me go and you can go back to being pooped on by birds like all good statues.' He kept a careful eye on their wands. He doubted they could use them as they were just statues and why have a wizard school if you can just make wizards from statues but they might have some tricks.

'Move.' He swished his wand. 'Now.' The oldest one, in a school outfit with the head boy badge, Zauberer he thought, slowly reached out a hand at him. Harry watched, till a burst of blue light slammed out of the statue's hands, smashing Harry backwards. He flew through the air and collided with the barrier atop the stairs, making it buzz like a swarm of hornets behind him, then collapsed to the floor. Waves of pain pulsed through him. He looked down. His left leg was at some horrible angle, snapped by the fall.

He looked up, head dazed, and saw them advancing on him. He had to escape.

'Accio broom.' The oldest, Merlin statue of him's broom flew towards him, knocking the head of the muggle clothes wearing version of him as it flew past. It grabbed the broom, holding onto it as it flew. Harry caught the broom, swung up onto it and zoomed past the heads of the four statues. His unwelcome guest swung its wand at him like a club with a powerful and fast blow. He blocked it with one arm and felt the wand snap on his arm, stabbing shards of wood into his arm and then backhanded the statue down to the floor, sending it down with a crash.

After this he went down to the end of the corridor to the ornate angel covered door and flicked his wand in a sharp z motion, focusing his will on forcing the door open. 'Alohomora' He cast the spell at the ornate door then grasped the handle and tried to open it, failing. He swore. It must have an anti alohomora charm on it.

He heard a scraping as the statue that had been clinging on came in behind him and saw it charging at him with animalistic rage, the sharpened broken wand in its hand. He stepped aside, grabbed his younger statue self by the sides of its brown haired head, and using the magical movement of his broom smashed it head first against the door. With a booming sound its head smashed into pieces in his hands, leaving the door dented.

He had to get through- soon the other statues would work up more courage and perhaps cast more of that strange blue magic. When he'd smashed the statue against the door it had chipped it- maybe the door was vulnerable to smashing spells?

He heard a woosh behind him and instinctively ducked as a pulse of blue shot out from behind him, crashing harmlessly against the door. The clock was ticking for him.

He turned back to the door and gestured a v shape with his wand, focusing his will into the desire to smash and destroy.

'Reductor' Every single cherub, angel, or holy being was annihilated instantly by the spell, the door of angels ripping itself into dust at the casting of his spell. Harry flew into the room and darted behind the door, away from the attacks.

He was in a massive room. A semicircular room, about as high as Hogwarts was tall, with a glowing white star map on the roof. Every surface, floors, walls, ceiling, was made of white marble which glowed bright with a shining light from the machinery at the center of the room. Seven giant floating rings of gold with the largest ring on the outside, a smaller ring inside of it, and so on and so forth. At the center of these seven floating rings was a floating white ball of fluid which shot out a bright white light that filled the room.

He felt a sudden desire to go inside the ball of fluid and drink deep of its whiteness. He blinked, surprised, and shook his head, trying to throw off the sudden irrational whim. He had to heal himself first anyway. He pointed his wand at his leg. 'Episkey'. The bone set into place. The charm wouldn't regrow bone, but it would set it and heal any broken skin. He'd used it a lot after bad falls in Quidditch for that. He glanced into the door back into the corridor and was rewarded with a pulse of blue which he ducked away from. They were now advancing faster, hand in hand. He flicked his wand at them twice.

'Reductor' . A ball of light flew at them from his wand and then bounced off a blue magical wall in front of them into the wooden wall at the side, causing it to explode into wooden fragments. They responded by chanting, and sending a massive pulse of blue light at Harry. He quickly summoned up a protego to block it, but the sheer forced of the pulse slammed him back and sent him spinning on the broomstick, the pulse reflected off his shield onto the wall.

Harry quickly recovered and swerved away on the broom from another blue pulse which shot at him. He darted around, flicking curses at them, zooming just past more blue pulses, but the statue's shimmering shield blocked everything he could cast, not even wavering.

The blue pulse had been reflected. Harry had seen skilled duelists reflect spells back at a person so perhaps he could do the same and use their own magic against them.

He came to a stop and cast protego, making a shield, pouring all of his will and desire into it.

'Come at me, I can take you.'

The statues, now standing at the destroyed door, all with determined looks on their faces and all glowing a faint blue shot a beam of blue light at him. He swung his knees back, ready to push back with the broom.

He felt the broom and his arm shaking with the force. The beam of light was reflecting off his shield at the corner of the room, and he could feel his shield collapsing under it. It was already flickering. He quickly twisted his wand arm, redirecting the beam of light back at the group.

When it hit their shield there was a bright flash of light. Harry glared through burning eyes down. The four statues had been knocked to the floor by their own blast. Time to take them out.

There were certain prefixes you could add to spells. Reliable ones. Spell creation was a dangerous art but the right words could shape the magic into a much more useful form. He was going to destroy these statues and get some space to breathe.

'Reductor maximus.' A massive blue spear of light lanced out from his wand, smashing into the fallen statues. Harry turned his face away from them and clenched his eyes, not wanting to be blinded any more.

He looked back a moment later. The area was a smoking crater, splattered with red blood. Several mangled looking house elves lay at the bottom, their bodies ripped apart and filled with holes. They didn't appear to be moving. He could see one still had a cracked black robe arm made of what he could now see was grey granite mounted on its arm. A costume.

He swore loudly. He had really messed up. He was a murderer.

Into the crater the oldest statue stepped. It shouted up something incoherent in an angry voice and then waved its wand. Three red lights shot out of it, zooming at Harry.

He swerved away, going towards the giant gold machine. He flew right at it then at the last moment twisted around a ring, and was rewarded with the sound of two explosions behind him. One more.

He span round and hurled up a shield. The missile collided with the shield, sending out waves of intense heat and light right through his shield. Harry screeched and swerved away as his face started to burn.

He quickly splashed himself with summoned water to douse the pain and span out from the golden machine, firing of a volley of curses at-

The statue had shifted shape. Rather than being a copy of him it was now a tall, probably taller than him thing that looked like a giant house elf. Long gangly limbs, big floppy ears and in front of it was a large column of earth it was summoning from the ground that shielded it. His curses smashed into the earth, smashing out a segment but doing little to stop it due to its sheer size.

The column of earth shot at him, branching out into tendrils that sought to cut off his escape. He flew away, hurling reductors at the earth. They exploded huge segments into dust but more earth kept coming, chasing after him. He heard a cry and the giant elf shot another three pulses of red at him. He had to escape. He turned his broom downwards and zoomed towards the fluid. It was the only conceivable way this room could let him escape.

Moving faster than a speeding car he smashed into the fluid. The broom shot out of his feet and he stopped moving, stuck in the floating white fluid. The golden rings around him started to move. The inner most ring's front edge swung vertically down, smashing through the giant elf's summoned earth, the back edge of the ring moving up behind him. The other rings moved in more confusing ways around him, faster and faster, till it looked to him like he was in a sphere of whirling gold.

Feeling a sudden urge to breathe he gulped in the white liquid. It felt good as it filled him, coating his lungs, warm and comforting. He closed his eyes.

When he opened them again he was in his bed in the closet under the stairs at 4 privet drive, a tight cramped room with little more than a bed and. He looked over his body. He was younger. His leg was still broken though, and his face burnt by the red spell. His arm itched from where the house elf had stabbed him with the wand. He was still buzzing with the fight too, or all this would seriously hurt.

He got up and patted his pj pockets. No wand. Dumbledore's wand hadn't come with him. Nor had the broom from a quick glance around the room.

The door swung open. Vernon came in, his uncle, a massive red faced man with a purple face and a bushy black mustache, and grabbed him by the shoulder, dragging him away. Harry limped along, not sure what was happening. Vernon spoke to him as he dragged Harry along.

'Come on, there's a woman here to see you boy. She's from the army. Says she has a place even for a real troubling boy like you. Serves you right, it'll get you out of our hair.'

He tossed Harry into the kitchen. He slammed to his knees, staring at the clean white floor, the smell of antiseptic filling his nose. He then got up and looked to see who the woman was. There, sitting at the table, was Bellatrix. She was calmly sitting in a chair, her long brown hair tied back into a pony tail, wearing new looking army camouflages that clung tightly to her form, arms resting on the table. She smiled warmly at him.

'Harry Potter. I have really been looking forward to seeing you.'

* * *

German translation. 'Wo ist Dumbledore?' =Where is Dumbledore,

'Sie werden ihn töten?'= Did you kill him

Fass!=Attack!

Reviews are yayness.


	5. Chapter 5: Candy is dandy

The chapter in which Bellatrix shows the utility of various drugs.

Thanks to Dracos1485 for the first review. I am glad you like the action, I intend there to be much of it.

* * *

Bellatrix stood up and walked up to Vernon, looking very professional in her army attires, a firm and focused look on her face. Vernon had his chest puffed out and was standing straight like he was trying to show off and impress her.

'Thank you for bringing him here. I know losing your dear nephew to the order and structure of the military is hard but,' Bellatrix looked at Harry and smiled in the same sort of way he imagined a lion smiled at its prey. 'the Hellenic regiment always needs new blood.'

Vernon snorted with annoyance.

'We've always done our best for the boy, fed him, clothed him, taught him proper ways but he's really been a disappointment, going out of his way to be a failure. It's our fault of course. Not enough structure or discipline to stop him being bad. It is hard knowing he'll go, but I'm really happy knowing he'll get what...' He looked at Harry, his face red with a flush of rage, his fists clenched. 'What he deserves. Because I care.'

Bellatrix clapped Vernon's hand and heartily patted him the back. Vernon beamed happily at this, shaking her hand vigorously. Harry saw red letters, like those above the statue, pop up above him. Erfolg : Verfuhrung. Neither of the pair seemed to pay attention to these floating letters.

'Thank you for being a great parent and caring for the needs of your child even in times of trouble. Now I,'

She patted her chest, pausing to take a breath. She had little breast line or hip shape to her form. It looked like she wore some sort of body armor which covered up any shape. Harry wiped away some sweat from his forehead.

Bellatrix continued. 'And Mr Potter and I have a lot to talk about. In life you have a choice, suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of failure, and he will choose correctly with me.'

Vernon nodded. 'I'll leave you two alone then. You knock some discipline into him' He left and turned around to close the door behind him grinning a wicked smile at Harry as the door shut.

Bellatrix held a finger up. 'Just a second Harry, I'll get to you soon.' She drew out her lung claw like wand out and started waving it around the room casting brightly colored spells at the wall and door and windows. Harry stood there, silently, avoiding putting any weight on his injured leg, and glanced around looking for a weapon. He had to kill her now.

The room had a short corridor for entry, then the main kitchen area, spic and span and high tech and modern. On the left was the brown counter made out of fake wood. A toaster and a blender and a kettle, filled with hot water, were plugged in, and a wooden block was filled with knives. He could reach the kettle in a second and hurl it. The knives would take a moment to draw and he knew Bellatrix was fast so the water would stun her and he could kill her, be a murderer again. The image of dead house elves flashed in front of his eyes for a moment. Ahead of him was the oven. Some food was cooking inside, pork he thought from the smell. In the middle of the room a large square table with four chairs sat, a glass of water partially drunk near the chair closest to him.

Bellatrix spoke again. 'I've sealed the room from anyone listening or spying on us. We're free to talk now without your oaf of an uncle calling us freaks.' Harry stared at her wand. He couldn't move whilst she had that pointed at him. Bellatrix looked down at her wand, up at his face, and laughed and put it down.

'Sorry about that, I meant you no harm, I-'

Harry moved the instant the wand was down. He lunged to the kettle, grabbed it, and hurled the boiling water and coffee at Bellatrix's face as she put her hands up and screeched. Then he grabbed the knife, took a moment to yank it out, and then slashed it across Bellatrix's bare neck. The knife broke in his hand and disintegrated into dust leaving no mark or injury, sending out an explosive wave of light that forced him back against the counter. Bellatrix flicked her wet hands and spat out some of the steaming water, clearly not in much pain.

'Urgh, you got me all wet, and these were new clothes too. You're lucky magic can clean stains out of hair and clothes or I would be seriously annoyed at you.' She drew her wand again and waved it at her hair and clothes, the brown stains quickly vanishing. Harry stood there, shocked that nothing he had done had harmed her at all. He felt like he burning up. His blood was boiling and he felt so hot and he couldn't even let it out on her.

'I used to do this to the girls with olive oil whenever they got something in their hair. Rub it in, leave it for half an hour, and wash it with warm water. Magic is a lot faster.' She finished removing the stains and then went to the table. Harry flopped back against the counter, wishing he had somewhere to hide. She had tortured Neville's parents into insanity, was the most powerful of Voldemort's servants and was here in his house, charmed against his attacks and speaking some nonsense about hair.

'I won't talk. You might as well kill me now. I won't break under Imperio either.'

Bellatrix sadly shook her head.

'I'm not here to kill you. I'm here to save you. Save you from your abusive muggle family'

Harry shook his head. He wouldn't give into her lies.

'I don't want any part of your evil prejudice. I know who you are, I know you're Voldemort's woman. You can't fool me.'

Bellatrix's face contorted for a moment in an expression of utter hate at Harry. A moment later that look vanished to one of serene calmness and she daintily sat down in a chair.

'Did that Squib tell you about me? No matter. She's wrong anyway. Look, who do you think I am?'

Harry went silent. He had come from the future and didn't want to reveal all he knew. He shouldn't say anything. He looked down, away from her eyes, and went silent. She was evil.

'I promise you, I swear on my honour, I won't harm you in this house. I am not really Bellatrix Lestrange. I am Sappho.'

'Polyjuice?' Harry asked. He didn't really believe it, though her mannerism and way of talking was different from Bellatrix.

'No.' She clapped her hands to her face, finely chiselled and beautiful if wicked and evil, in deep thought. Then she walked over to the window and pulled up the curtains. The light shined on her body and it changed and twisted along with her clothes. She soon had short brown hair, a golden band on her forehead. Over her shoulders she wore a deep red cloak, across her body a green skirt made of thick fabric that flowed down her body. If before Bellatrix had been attractive, this woman looked even more beautiful, her every movement seductive and attractive, her face perfectly shaped. The devil in female form.

'Sit down. You're not going to want to be standing on that leg when I explain this, it's shocking and mysterious.' Harry obeyed her, keeping an eye on her at all times, hobbling to the chair next to the glass of water. Best to not piss off the dangerous death eater till you had a plan.

Bellatrix, or whoever the woman was (and he didn't trust someone like her to tell the truth) drew out a green vial from a pocket and pushed it towards Harry.

'This is Veritaserum. It's a powerful magical truth serum. Three drops will make a person tell the complete truth as they believe it.'

Harry looked at the vial. Dolores had tried to use it on him before to force him to reveal his secrets. That had been a freaky year. It looked like this one was going to be just as bad. He hated Bellatrix and he refused to give in. Maybe he could shove her in the oven and burn her. Maybe he could stab her eyes.

'How do I know this is really Veritaserum?'

'Drink it, let it go under your skin and fill your body with the word and truth of Aletheia.'

'I thought we covered this, I'm not letting you into my mind.' He had to justify it somehow. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking hard of some lie to tell so she wouldn't go into his mind. He didn't want her to torture him to insanity like Neville's parents. Better to die than that. Maybe he deserved that. He was a murderer. 'I resisted Voldemort as a baby, I can resist that now.'

Bellatrix shook her head, staring into the distance for a moment and spoke in a nostalgic tone. 'I spoke to Lily several times. A beautiful woman with a brilliant mind. She charmed the world with her motherly love, her spell and protection as strong as her bond with you.' She looked up at him again.

'Sorry. Old memories. I'm glad you know so much about the ways of magic. You did a great deed, stopping Voldemort.' She rubbed his elbow. 'And I think you're pretty cool. No need to worry, I planned for this.'

She waved her wand at the corner. Dudley's head appeared on the floor separated from any body. Harry gripped the arms of the chair tightly. Then the rest of the veil dropped and Dudley's sleeping form was visible on the floor.

'Why is my cousin unconscious on the floor? I don't like him, but if you want to hurt someone, just hurt me instead.'

'No hurting, I promise. I gave him a sweetie laced with alcohol. I thought he might be useful. Wakey wakey.' She waved her wand again and Dudley slowly got up, eyes tired, speaking, his voice slurred.

'Whurr, what's happening. I feel tired. Harry you.' He swayed and collapsed onto the table. He then dragged himself to a chair, swinging his fat legs into it and slumping on the table.

'Dudley dear, a growing boy like you needs his sleep and food. Want some more sweeties?'

She drew out a packet of yellow lemon flavoured sweeties from her robe and offered them to Dudley.

'My favorite. Gimmie.' He reached out to grab some and Bellatrix drew them back.

'Wait a second, let me add some special flavour to tantalize your tongue.' She uncorked the vial of what was supposedly Veritaserum and dripped several drops onto the sweets. She then offered it again. Dudley drew back for a moment.

'My mom said I shouldn't eat poisoned sweeties from strangers.'

Bellatrix smiled at him and spoke in a soft and sweet tone.

'Oh, but I'm not a stranger, I'm your friend. You can trust me.'

Erfolg : Diplomatie flashed on top of Dudley's head. Diplomacy? Whatever it meant, Dudley apparently was no longer worried and was stuffing a handful of sweats in his fat face. Harry drew back into his chair, shaking. This strange new magic could make people stupid.

'What's your most embarrassing memory?' said Bellatrix.

'None you business thanks.' Ausfall : Diplomatie flashed above Dudley's head. Maybe Ausfall meant failure, Erfolg meant success? Her previous words had convinced Dudley to eat sweets, these words hadn't. Some new charm from than strange room in Hogwarts he supposed. It would let him avoid her dangerous ways. Dudley then grabbed a handful of sweets and stuffed them in his mouth.

'Again, what's your most embarrassing memory.'

Dudley spoke while munching on the sweets, his voice surprisingly clear. 'I went to my arts class once after school to collect a project. I caught my teacher singing Rock With You by Michael Jackson. I sung it with her, like a duet. It became our in joke that she loved Michael Jackson, we'd hum it to each other in the corridor. Near Valentine's day I was at a store and saw one of those singing animals that sung that song. I bought it and then gave it to her in front of the class. She played it and then I realized I'd confessed my love for her in front of the entire class. They laughed at me and mocked me. I was teased by everyone for the rest of the year and now feel ashamed of loving girls.' Harry smiled. This was good. He just had to hum that song and he could make Dudley shut up. He slapped his cheek gently. Wake up. He shouldn't use what was acquired by force against Dudley. That was immoral.

Bellatrix nodded. 'As you should, women are to men as a hare is to a wolf'

Dudley blinked. 'Why did I tell you that? And what about women?'

Bellatrix took out a packet of purple sweeties. 'Shh, don't ask, you look as pale as a cloud, you need more food.

Dudley took another handful of purple sweeties, pushed them in his mouth and chewed. He then collapsed onto the table, asleep, and started snoring.

Bellatrix turned to Harry again. 'Your cousin is adorable. I feel all motherly taking care of him, feeding him. So, was that clear enoughproof?'

Harry spoke. 'That's pretty clear proof. And wow. I didn't know he had it in him.' Bellatrix was being very kind.

'Thank you Bellatrix.'

Bellatrix nodded. 'Thank you Harry, I try to be clear. Communication isn't a given, it takes effort. Let me get rid of the distraction. '

Bellatrix waved her wand at Dudley and he went invisible again, though Harry could see a small pile of drool spreading on the table from nothingness. She waved it again and the sound from his snoring stopped. She then rolled her wand over to Harry.

'You can hold it for now. See, I am not using my wand to change the liquid.' Harry grasped Bellatrix's wand. He knew she was a threat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead again. It was really hot.

Bellatrix then dropped three drops of the Veritaserum onto her tongue. She wiggled her tongue around then drew it back in and swallowed, running her hands down her body as though she was guiding the potion down.

'My name is Sappho, I mean you no harm and cannot harm you, and I am speaking the truth. Two plus two is-' she bit her tongue suddenly.

'I can't say two plus two is five. It's working. So Harry let me first show you my honesty. You can ask me any seven questions you wish and I'll stay and answer them truthfully and completely. I swear this on Aphrodite and Eos.'

Harry looked at her, running his eye over her body. She looked very relaxed and comfortable, lounging in her long flowing outfit. He saw no tenseness or deception. 'Any seven questions?'

She smiled at him and giggled. 'Yes, and don't worry, I won't count that one. You're funny.'

Harry smiled and relaxed into his chair, his hands dropping limply by the side. He put the wand down. What should he ask?

* * *

Any questions from readers that you'd ask her? If so, say in the reviews and I can ask. I know some questions I'm definitely having him ask, but suggestions are welcome.

I intend to introduce the combat system in chapter 7 so levelling up and such will be happening soon. At the moment the social sims style system is the main thing that's happening gamewise, though some background stuff is going on as well.

I don't condone drugging up small children, incidentally.

German translation:

Erfolg : Diplomatie=Success: diplomacy

Ausfall: Failure


	6. Chapter 6: but liquer is quicker

In which Sappho advances her views on morality and religion.

* * *

Harry stroked his chin thoughtfully and was momentarily surprised by the complete lack of stubble. It hadn't really sunk into his mind that he was now young, transported back in time by the Hogwarts defence systems, there to prove himself and save his companions. He glanced over at... Sappho, not Bellatrix. She was looking very friendly, still radiantly beautiful, arms open and pose welcoming as she sat at the table. Seven questions to ask her. It was really a strange scenario but he supposed wizards were just weird.

'I need a moment to think.' said Harry, wiping more sweat off his forehead. Sappho nodded and pressed her small olive hand to the chest of her green skirt.

'I'm not trying to trick you. I'm this weird wizard who turned up on your doorstep of you, the Merlin of this generation who stopped the dark lord. You know the world of magic, you know what Veritaserum is, I'm not going to fool one like you by lying. I want you to have the freedom to learn whatever you want to learn about me because I want your help and I want your help honestly.'

'Yeah. It's weird but I feel like I can trust you.' Sappho grinned in a very wicked manner, leaned across the table, and patted his arm.

'I have your best interests at heart.'

'Thanks for that. Well, my first question must be who is this beautiful woman in front of me and why was she wearing Bellatrix's form?'

Sappho preened, though he saw her left fist clench. 'You are such a charming lad. I am Sappho, servant of the gods Aphrodite, of love, and Eos, of the dawn and feverish love. I possessed Bellatrix so that I could have a form here and talk to you.'

Harry swung his eyes over her appraisingly again. She looked normal enough, except for her beauty, not like some undead ghoul from the tely.

'What do you mean by you possessed her? Can she still do things? She was a pretty evil person, not like you.'

Sappho held up her index finger and made it wiggle like a snake towards her brain. She was gripping the table tightly with her left hand.

'My soul went into her brain and took control. She can still see and hear things but she is as active as a sloth. I can control her. Anyway, second question. Ask me more.'

Harry nodded and waved his hand at Sappho's body.

'You don't seem like a normal wizard since you ignored my attack.' said Harry. Sappho grinned wryly

'You ignored Voldemort's attack, so you did it first.'

Harry frowned at her and shook his head disapprovingly.

'Taking advantage of me being an orphan to avoid a question. That's low.'

'Orphans are pretty easy to take advantage of.' Sappho smiled with an infuriating smile. Harry thought he should be mad at her but couldn't maintain it against that smile.

'Why is that?'

'Orphans get to chose their parents, unlike most young men. You can love more than others because you get to chose the ones you love. You can choose better than Dursley here and your love can be as bright and pure as the sun. Unlike...' She gestured to the pile of drool spreading out from Harry's invisible cousin.

Harry laughed. This woman really got it. 'Yeah. He's pretty screwed up. I guess I do have it better than him. Thanks.'

Sappho nodded, then flicked back a shining brown hair that had fallen across her face.

'You do. Way better. You're a wizard too which makes you even better. Anyway, ready to ask the second question?'

Harry nodded, ignoring for now her racism. He was used to comments like that about muggles.

'What magic powers do you have? That was what I wanted to say earlier.'

Sappho raised her hands, and they glowed with a bright white light.

'I can summon the powers of the dawn into me and fire them out to defend myself or attack others as long as my connection to the dawn is strong. This makes me invulnerable to physical and magical harm and lets me smash through most shields with blasts of light.'

Harry looked at her surprise. He hooked a finger into his top and pulled it away from his sweaty skin.

'Nothing can harm you at all? Glad you're on our side.'

She nodded. 'Barring the odd extreme power like fiendfyre, no. And yes, you are a very lucky man.'

She gestured at her head. 'From Aphrodite I have the power of love. I can make any two creatures which are suitable for each other fall in love. I can store a number of their offspring or any being filled with the power of love in my head and use them to protect me. Magical hybrids generally, though I can store people. I also have all the power and witchery of Bellatrix. Or at least I will. She's resisting me now. Even without her though, I am an experienced witch from before. And of course, I have my brains and beauty as well.'

Harry nodded, rubbing his head. He was starting to get a headache, it was so hot and he was sweating like a pig. He took the glass of water from the table and gulped it down.

'Thank you for all your kindness. No one else was as honest as you. You're great. So next, I think I'll ask about those gods. Aphrodite, Eos. I heard of Aphrodite, the greek god of love? So they're real? Could you please tell me about them Sappho?'

Sappho grasped her skirt at the shoulder and yanked it down, revealing more beautiful olive skin and a tattoo of a nude woman with long flowing red hair. She floated in the sea with flowers all around her. She then pulled down the other shapely and feminine shoulder and revealed another clothed red haired woman with long white wings, holding a man in her arms tightly to her. She then spoke, her voice beautiful and melodic.

'Thousands of years I served them in life. I was a teacher who helped women become beautiful and fair for marriage, taught them the ways of love, both the duty filled and responsible love of man and woman, and the passion and desire filled ways of women. I protected those women in society who were poorly valued, the courtesans-'

Harry noted that he probably shouldn't know that word as a ten year old and kept his face blank.

'And the unmarried women. I honoured them. The gods-' she tapped each shoulder tattoo in turn,' granted me power and the freedom to beseech favors from the other gods. They bind me to their rules, including truth, hospitality and such which mean I can't harm you or lie to you here, even beyond the charms from your mother in this place that barely tolerate my presence- if I actively harmed you in any way I think those charms would kick me out. In return I bring many to their worship. Before I came here today I helped convert more than two dozen wicca women to their worship.'

That was very helpful, though he was curious about more modern religions.

'Since you're experienced do you know if Christianity is true at all?'

She smiled at him and playfully touched his hand, a move that sent shivers through him. 'Experienced? Clarify that part of the question please.'

Harry flicked her hand back. 'Sounds better than old.'

Sappho looked him in the eyes, her bright emerald eyes twinkling with mischievousness.

'Do I look old?'

Harry nodded and spoke in a very serious tone. 'Yes you look very old, I'm not even sure how you're still alive given all those wrinkles. Four thousand years right?'

Sappho pouted at him and swatted his hand lightly.

'I'm not a day over three thousand, thank you very much. On Christianity, Jesus was a real man but I think he was a wizard who used a Horcrux using a bit of Greek magic. The Greek gods created the universe, Christianity is a lie.'

'If I convert can I shoot lasers?'

Sappho leaned over and clapped her hand onto his back then drew him into a warm hug that left him tingling to his toes.

'This is so sudden. But yes. Come join us. We might have to change your gender but I promise I'll do whatever I have to do to help you shoot lasers of love if you convert.

Harry felt very safe and happy in that hug. He felt quite a lot of desire too, more than he'd have thought his ten year old self could feel. He wanted to kiss Sappho then tell her everything. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to her shoulder, tears of happiness running from his eyes. Perhaps he could nuzzle her ear. He opened his eyes and started to move when he saw something above him.

Erfolg : Diplomatie. And next to it was a glowing pink heart symbol and a potion. When he looked at that symbol he could smell the scent of broom handles, of flowers, of treacle tart. Amortentia. The love potion. Harry felt the bitter darkness of betrayal fill him.

He jerked away from her. He wanted to shout at her but he loved her too much. He spoke, his voice sad and hurt.

'What did you do to me? I don't feel right.'

Sappho laughed and stood up, walking slowly towards him.

'I needed you on my side so I put forward my best face, was as diplomatic as I could be. And it worked, but not well enough.'

She backed him against the counter and pressed him into it, her body smelling delicious and intoxicating, her presence so welcome and so painful.

'Incidentally, I love myself a lot and earlier made myself a love potion which I put in that drink. You drank it. Sorry but, candy is dandy, but liqueur is quicker, isn't that the phrase? I would never tell you to drink it, that would be harming you and the house would kick me out, but if you steal my drink then it's not my fault.'

She pressed closer to him, pushing his arms back, holding him against the counter. Harry wanted to give in so much.

'Vernon turned the heating up. I think that was because of a prank I played on him. I cast a cooling charm. Sorry if that made you all sweaty.'

She pressed a soft hand to his cheek, making him shiver. She was going to corrupt him, make him her love slave. He wanted her to.

'And now you're mine. The love potion will take effect. We can-' She made a snipping motion with her fingers 'Fix you up and then you can learn to fire lasers and be with me. It's going to be great. We're going to have so much fun together. And the best thing about it is you don't have to think about it. You can't say no. You could no more hurt me or stop me than you could hurt yourself. The love for me is as strong as your self love, your sense of self preservation.'

Harry heard those last words and a desperate plan filled his mind. He drew closer to her, wrapping one his hands around hers.

'You're wrong about one thing, dear Sappho.'

'What's that Harry?'

'I'm a murderer. I failed my friends. I don't love myself. And I can hurt myself.'

He broke out of the grip of Sappho and swung around to grab a knife. He pressed it into her hands and then guided her hand to stab himself in the arm, all far faster than she could react. An overwhelming torrent of pain smashed through his body as the knife stabbed into him that washed away the love and desire and regret. He bit his lip to the point of tasting blood, trying to keep standing. Sappho appeared shocked, not moving.

'What did you- why did you-?' She jerked away from him as though electrified looking lost and confused clutching the hand that had stabbed him. He saw burn wounds on it.

Harry spat his blood at the floor.

'You 'accidentally' got me to drink your love potion. I 'accidentally' got you to stab me. Bellatrix, you stabbed me in my own home. How could you? I loved you.'

Sappho stood back and looked at Harry with a great deal of annoyance.

'Damn you, damn you to Tartarus.'

She started to glow brighter and brighter, a pale red light radiating from every pore of her body. Her hair stood up as though electrified, turning a bright intense red. She clenched her fists. Then around her a wave of white smoke, like that which had come from his hands and destroyed Voldemort in his first year, formed from nothing and started to encircle Sappho.

Sappho swore something and a wave of light forced the smoke back a foot or two. The smoke soon returned pushing the wave of light back and wreathing and surrounding Sappho. The light, of Eos Harry supposed, protected Sappho but the smoke kept trying to force it's way in, making small burn marks and scars wherever it broke the light. Her magic quickly repaired the damage though. A red light filled each injury for a moment and she was healed.

Harry focused on his pain. He focused on the image of his friends dying to death eaters because he had been too slow. He focused on the thought that he had slain house elves, that he had ended life. He focused on the feeling of betrayal that Dumbledore had enspelled him, that Sappho or Bellatrix or whoever had broken his will and that no matter how good or beautiful she was she was a death eater too. He tried to pick up a knife to stab her and failed, his hand flopping down the counter. He couldn't hurt his love.

Sappho was now sending out continual pulses of red light, forcing the white smoke back. She looked amazing at the moment, hands outstretched, glowing brightly, eyes focused and determined. Her hair flickered red with power, long and gloriously luscious. He remembered that when he had touched Voldemort it had burnt him.

He focused on his feelings of desire for her form, his loneliness. He focused on the warm feeling of happiness he had felt when Sappho held him. Then, timing his movement, he darted forward through the smoke and magic and wrapped his arms around her. White smoke burst out around his arms.

She screeched loudly in pain and smashed her hand at him. A shield of white smoke formed. Harry was knocked back down to the floor but the white smoke protected and shielded him from any harm.

Sappho glared at him, angry and in pain. The bottom half of her clothes had been sheered off by the burning magic. Her chest was badly burnt where he had hugged her, the skin covered with boils and burns to the point where he could see several of her ribs poking out. It wasn't healing. He felt very sorry for how much pain he had caused her. He started to get up to hold her and help her feel better. She hurridly backed away.

'Damn. I have to leave. Damn you again Harry. We could have been- argh.'

A white lash of smoke had forced its way to her body and was ripping a hole through her tunic, straight at her heart. Sappho flicked her hand out and her wand flew from Harry's hand to hers, yanked out with great force. Then. with a flash Sappho turned to a being of light and shot out of the window, smashing the glass out wide onto the Dursley's perfect green law. Harry then slumped back to the floor, exhausting physically and mentally. He then saw something flash in front of his eyes in big gold letters.

Punkte: 6000 fur den sieg 'Sappho'. Next to it a host of pictures floated, each with numbers next to them. They had words next to them but Harry did not understand the language. He could recognize some of the pictures. A man sneaking whilst holding a dagger behind his back, a woman riding a broomstick. A woman gesturing with a wand. A man speaking. A woman speaking while rubbing her body. A woman riding a hippogriff. A man wielding a dagger. A man wearing a mask. A woman casting some spell at a person without an arm, restoring it. A man with pulsing waves of light coming from his head and another one with a woman with waves of light going to her head. Above it all, the mysterious word Fahigkeiten.

He had little time to think about that because soon a scream came from outside and a massive wave of light smashed into the house, blocked by a smokey barrier that surrounded the house. Then Sappho's loud voice rang out through his ears.

'I will not be denied, Harry!'

* * *

Thanks again to Dracos.

German Translation:

Punkte: 6000 fur den sieg 'Sappho'= Points: 6000 for victory 'Sappho'

Fahigkeiten= Skills


	7. Chapter 7: Metagaming

I rolled for every combat situation in this chapter. These were the rolls, unadjusted without modifiers. Sappho and Vernon both got a natural 20 and Harry got a natural 1. Bad luck for Harry.

12 20 3 11 12 16 9 4 13 4 16 12 1 20

* * *

Harry rushed to the window. Sappho stood in the middle of a flower patch in their back lawn, her feet surrounded by trampled blue flowers- Agapanthus he believed Dumbledore had called them. She had a grey coat wrapped around her chest to cover her prior nudity, one he thought was likely from Arabella Figg, his neighbour. He suppose she must have summoned it- a quick glance to the side confirmed this with a fragment of clothing still stuck on the fence.

She had a ball of pink light clutched in her fist and still made his heart tingle when he looked at her. He averted his eyes quickly to try and avoid those feelings, though it made his heart hurt. She then threw the ball of light at the house- it smashed into the magical smoke barrier hard, forcing it right back to the window. A clump of smoke smashed off from outside and rolled all over the table. He grabbed a knife in the meantime and put it into his pocket.

'I will break your damn wards. I will smash them down. Damn you!' she screeched, summoning up more magic. His lover clearly needed some time to cool down.

In the meantime he would get his family out of the way of their spat. He turned around to his invisible cousin. Dudley. He brushed away some of the smoke that had surrounded him. He then grasped him tightly and pulled him up onto one shoulder. It hurt carrying his extra weight on his broken leg but he seemed to have lost no strength going back in time despite his smaller frame and even this weak could support his weight. Magic. It was ok for now, though a sudden jar might yank it all apart.

He started hobbling towards the door. He tried to undo it but it was locked. Probably Sappho's spells. He leaned against the door, trying to ignore the sounds and lights of Sappho trying to break the barrier. Thinking, he spoke to the unconscious Dudley who was drooling on his shoulder. It was better than speaking to a wall at least.

'Dudley. What should I do? I can't get through the door and escape. I can't fight her, I love her-' There was another boom, and more smoke flew in, '-I can't raise my hand against her. But she wants to do stuff to me. I've heard of the Greeks, I know from class that they liked buggering children.' the room flashed bright red again, another huge boom came from the window, 'She probably wants to do the same. And I want that now. I really want her. I want her to use me-' Sappho shouted at him from afar 'You burnt me Harry, you burnt me, how could you!' And sent another blast at him. '-however she wants. But I know it's a really bad idea and I feel sick and hurt at the idea and from the love potion and I'm going to hate myself more when it wears off. But I can't say no,' There was a crinkling sound, like glass bending inwards and cracking, '-to her.'

'I shurred her.' slurred Dudley. He glanced at him. Clumps of him were now visible despite the invisibility spell. His face mostly, some of his arms. He didn't remember classes perfectly but he knew most spells didn't wear off this fast.

'You showed her what?' He asked, thinking. Was it because she was outside the house? Did her spells depend on range?

'Tee-her.' The arts teacher from earlier he supposed who Dudley had humiliating himself in front. 'She weren nish.' Or maybe that smoke? The spells had been smashing it into the house. Perhaps it countered Sappho's magic? She had magical alcohol then in that candy? He should ask her about that sometime. He flicked a clump of smoke up to his hand.

'Bottoms up' He mashed it into Dudley's face. Dudley's translucent face appeared before him, big and bulbous and red. It was slowly becoming more visible and he seemed to be waking up more.

'She wasn't nice to me after the song. She didn't even look at me, wouldn't talk to me. She talked to others. She betrayed me. I showed her.'

Harry flicked another foot full of magical white smoke up to his hand and then stopped. He looked at Dudley.

'You hurt her? You hurt the woman you loved? How?' It hurt him to think about hurting Sappho. He instead tried to think of hurting... McGonagall. Yes, he imagined he was in love with McGonagall and wanted to hit her. He scooped up a handful of the magic smoke stuff and rubbed it over the door handle. It gave a little more now. He tried to ignore Sappho's shouts and the booms in the background and focus on Dudley. She was impressively powerful and it was pretty great for her that she could smash down a barrier that Voldemort couldn't. He should ask her to teach him sometime.

'I copied her handwriting and sent romantic love letters to all of those bastards she was cheating on me with. The school gave them all detentions for pranking her. Showed them.'

'You are really messed up and so is the school.'

Dudley weakly punched his shoulder. Maybe he shouldn't have said that? He needed information from him.

'Shut up.'

'No. Tell me more.'

'Don't wanna. You're mean. Sappho was nice. You're just a freak.'

Harry paused and rubbed his forehead, stressed. Sappho the very nice one was outside sending blasts of ruby through the house every few seconds. The barrier outside looked more frail with each passing second and the kitchen floor looked a bit like a cloud now with how much of the barrier had fragmented and fallen on the floor. He had to ignore this and bargain with a petulant and evil child. He drew in a deep breath and spoke.

'I'm sorry Dudley. I was just jealous of how smart and clever you were. I want to be less freaky and more like you.' Above Dudley's head the successful diplomacy sign flashed.

'I knew it.' said Dudley, smiling, his fat face looking a bit like a pig's after you fed it an apple.

'Please, tell me why you showed your teacher what was what. Teach me like you taught her.'

'She betrayed me. Left me for those others. You can't have that can you? A man-' Harry tried to avoid snorting at this 'deserves respect from his woman, deserves her not playing with everyone who comes close.'

Jealousy. He could work with that, even though what Dudley had done was really messed up. People did hurt their partners because of jealousy, even ones they really loved. If... Mcgonagall had been playing in the dungeons with Snape among the potion fumes and dark columns he would feel really betrayed. Angry even. If Sappho didn't love him enough, if she left him for someone else and he never got to kiss those lips, if she kissed someone else...

His hand, which had been resting on the door knob jerked down. The door flew open. Harry looked at his hand. Held inside it, tightly clenched, was the door knob, ripped physically off the door with the lock. His pulse was racing and he felt mad.

As he started dragging Dudley towards In the corner of his vision a message popped up. Potenz Entrigelt: Hausliche Gewalt. The screen in front of him with all those weird images focused in on one of the images he hadn't been able to decipher. It was one of a woman speaking to a man while shaking his shoulders. The Potenz message then flew towards that image, getting smaller as it flew across the screen, and vanished into it.

He looked at the words next to that image. Terrorisieren on the left, and on the right the word Sclammblut- the same as that weak looking version of him back in Hogwarts whose arm he had smashed off and who he guessed was now lying unconscious and bleeding within his or her statue body.

When he looked at that word, Sclammblut, a small box popped up above it saying 6000-2000=Tierwesen There was a little green tick next to it and a red cross. He flicked his eyes over the other symbols. There were a lot of muggels, some sclammbluts, a small number of tierwesens, and one halbblut next to what he could now see was a man riding a broom. Maybe it was some sort of grading system? He could... terrorize people with jealousy as well as a sclammblutt, but if he pressed the tick he could terrorize them as well as a tierwesen at the cost of 2000 points?

He started at the tick for a second or so and it flashed. The label next to it transformed into Tierwesen. He flicked his eyes around a bit more and soon at the cost of another 4000 points he was a halbblut in terrorisiren. He'd go all in.

Distracted by the screen Harry didn't hear or see Vernon running down the stairs, shotgun in hand. They collided and were sent into a sprawl. Harry heard a horrific crack as the break in his leg returned, twisting out to an awkward angle. Agony shot through him making his vision shake and his whole body burn. When he opened his eyes again Vernon was up on his feet, less shakey pointing the shotgun at his face.

'What did you do you freak? What are you doing.'

Harry couldn't focus. Agony was filling his body and his leg was at such a horrible angle. He could feel it, hot waves of pain with every heart beat.

'I... err'

Vernon jabbed the shotgun at his face.

'Speak up, what did you do to Dudley this time? What are those sounds from the kitchen?'

He had to get through this. He had to so he could meet Sappho again. He couldn't die here. He had to hold Sappho one last time. The thought of that strengthened him a little but a fresh wave of agony overwhelmed it. He still couldn't get it together.

'I err... woman.'

Vernon placed his foot on Harry's chest and pressed his shotgun to Harry's burnt face. The touch sent fresh agony through him. Then he spoke through gritted teeth, voice angry and brooking no disobedience.

'WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON YOU FREAK!'

Erfolg: Terrorisieren flashed above Vernon's head. He could feel it too, the urge to comply with him, to give him anything he wanted. Emotionally his hate for their violence had shifted to fear that left him little desire to retaliate. But two could play at that game.

He pulled himself up onto his elbows, pushing past the pain and spoke, trying to be as angry and terrorizing as he could be.

'That woman, one of Voldemort's damn servants who you let into our house, is trying to kill us. She cursed your son with magic, yes magic, because you failed as a father. Now you will take me out away from here with your son through the front door or so help me god I will take that shotgun and shove it up your rear. You want freak? I will given you FREAK.'

As he said freak he smashed his fist to the floor and a wave of magical force flew out from his fist. The large and expensive television screen visible in the living room fell off its stand. Every picture frame of their lawn, their happy family without Harry, and of Vernon's job cracked and flew to the floor which was cracking in lines away from his fist. Vernon's shotgun was yanked from his hands and tossed to the side. Vernon himself had been pushed back to the wooden stairs, thrown onto his rear. Petunia was standing at the top of the stairs pressed to the wall looking terrified.

Vernon nodded. 'Yes. You're right. I'm sorry. I'll take you out of here. What do you need?'

Harry sat there shocked as the Erfolg floated above Vernon's head. Was this what it felt like, to use a 'Potenz' on a person? He had played Vernon as easily as Dumbledore had played him, as easily as Sappho had. His musings were interrupted by another booming shock of ruby magic. A river of smoke flooded the room and a horrible cracking sound rung through the house.

'Ready or not, here I come.' Came Sappho's pained voice. He guessed they'd play hide and seek.

'Grab your shotgun, stuff the end with that smoke, it can hurt her. Together we have to get Dudley to the front lawn. Petunia, run away as fast as you can.'

He turned back to Vernon. His shotgun was smoked up and he had Dudley and was going to pick up him. He grasped Vernon's arm and came to his feet on his good leg. The other was pulsating with pain and yes he could see a bloody bone sticking out. Maybe he could use the smoke to fix it? He threw a handful of smoke at his leg. It bounced off ineffectively. Maybe not. It was good he was used to the sight of blood. It looked a bit like Sappho's red light too.

They soon reached the front lawn. He gestured to Vernon to lean him against the wall and gestured to him to go against the other wall. 'Ambush' He said. Vernon nodded, putting Dudley down to the wall. 'Nobody, no matter how pretty, is going to smash up my house.' Harry pumped a fist. 'Yay capitalism.' Vernon frowned at him. 'It's not about money, it's about showing others you care about yourself. Now shush.' Harry went silent, complying with him. Petunia, not wanting to abandon her family and apparently not terrorized enough was standing with a letter cutting knife by her husband.

They waited. As they did, Harry saw a rosy red flash up above him. There was Sappho, coming down from the roof. She had changed her attire- she now wore some bronze armor, held a bronze shield, and had a long spear strapped to her hand which must be guided by magic because she also held her wand. She was coming at Vernon.

Harry yelled out to him and Vernon moved his shotgun up to fire. She twisted her spear expertly at him and knocked the shotgun away. The white mist jumped to her spear and started to singe the end though some even faster effect instantly incinerated the shotgun.

Petunia stabbed with the knife which Harry saw was wreathed in smoke. She managed to score a hit on Sappho's chest, but the armor, apparently designed for this, popped off her chest and was slowly consumed by the smoke. Petunia's knife was consumed by the flames.

It was Harry's time. Do or die. He imagined Sappho with Draco, their bodies entwinned passionately. He imagined her abandoning him, that red hair being lost from him forever. He imagined the pair of them spitting in his face.

His bad leg and the weakness of his desire to actually hurt the beautiful amazing person he loved based on a silly hypothetical scenario (I mean, it was fairly obvious she was into girls, Hermione would have been a much better choice) tripped him up. He collapsed to the floor and was incapacitated by his agony.

Shortly after he was woken up. Vernon and Petunia were glancing around, paralysed by what looked like a spell. He was bound by magical ropes and Sappho was leaning over him. His leg was surprisingly ok despite the agony. He glanced at it and saw that it was bound into a proper angle by some cloth.

'I fixed that for you. Also, don't worry, I've forgiven you. I realize I came on a bit strong. Years trapped in Elysium do that to you. It's full of type A personality male heroes.' Sappho said.

She was dressed in her green skirt again and was waving her soft, shapely arms above him. She had a new perfume now. It smelt just like a broomstick. He lost himself in her scent and found himself reaching to touch her. He pulled back somehow, some great effort.

'I appreciate it but I... don't want to be a girl, and I... shouldn't sleep with you, I want to but I know I shouldn't. I feel sick about what I'm doing. I can't do it.'

'Aphrodite can fix that. I can ask her to change your mental gender and orientation.'

'I like being a guy though.'

'I saw what they did to you. That was part of how I forgive you. Your face was burnt, your leg broken. You are covered in scratches from plants which I know because I changed your clothes.' He saw he was wearing a green tunic now. 'And I have no idea what you did to make you so depressed but I am definitely blaming them. I don't think you're mentally fit to choose your fate, so I'll make it better for you.' She seemed pretty certain. He doubted he could make much headway against that.

'I guess. So, what are you up to now.'

'I'm trying to work out how your mother's protections work. Hurt a lot. Sensing the magic around it.'

'You're very open with what you're doing.'

'As I said, gods like honestly. Plus it helps to guide you.'

'Guide me?'

'Along a path. I chose what information I revealed. I was hoping if you did try something you'd try to get me to break my oaths to the gods or get me to attack you or something- I could deal with those. I didn't expect you to be so masochistic though it's not a huge issue- in time I can repair any damage to this shell. I'm here to help you now though.' He had to try again to stop her.

'If you want to help me, don't change me. Don't force me.'

She looked into his eyes, hers glowing red, her hands paused, wand out. 'In time every mother's love must yield to the passion of love.' She pointed her wand at him. 'Imperio'

Harry felt the overwhelming pull of the woman's magic fill his mind. He might have resisted but why resist someone you loved? She spoke to him, in her soft seductive voice and he obeyed.

'I hate my mother. I reject her utterly. She never helped me and was never any good to me. I detest my mother.'

Harry felt something snap inside of him, something fundamental. He also felt a deep desire and warmth inside him for this kind and wonderful woman.

Sappho then pulled red light onto her fingers from nothing and sent a pulse of energy through him. He shuddered as it ran through him, filling him to his toes. As she did large red letters flashed in front of his eyes:

SPEILER DEAKTIVIERT. VIDEOSEQUENZ ARABELLA FINCH.

* * *

Thanks to Dracos, any other reviewers are appreciated as always.


	8. Chapter 8: Cutscenes

I return, having received another review. A non Harry chapter since he has rolled very poorly. Action heavy.

* * *

Unknown location, present time.

* * *

Red blood swelled from the curse wound in her chest while with every heartbeat her head pounded. Curses like these couldn't be cured in any way short of stronger magic because they bound to your soul. Her magic was much weaker now. Draining out of her with every drop. She didn't have her potion kit, didn't have anything short of her wand as she lay in the midst of the yellow wheat field. Tough times called for emergencies. Time to burn the ground and salt the earth. She picked up her wand off the ground and pressed the end to the wound.

'Fiendfyre'

A jet of fire shot out,blinding her with its intensity, trying to consume her chest. She forced it to just eat the curse magic. It fought against her fiercely but soon she broke its will and pushed it down again.

After that she lay on the ground huffing with pain, the wound cauterized and the fiendfyre gone along with a part of her soul. She wished she remembered what to do. She knew there was something she was supposed to do, some purpose she should have but she just couldn't bring it to mind. She picked up her watch off the ground. It was an old looking watch with scratched black leather straps and a dented golden case. It was ticking to some time in about forty minutes. There was a message written on the ground too in her own blood from the smell of it. She didn't remember writing it, but there it was. It said 'Stop her. Then stop others fiendfyre.'

She searched through her robe for some hint of who she was. After a little searching she found a thin photo. She was standing there with eight other red heads but none of them really meant anything to her. She didn't recall any of their names, or when she'd taken the photo. She had drawn something on it. An arrow that swung as she moved the photo written in her blood, filled with magic. Below it were some words. Stop her. She started walking unsteadily, hand pressed to her side, pushing aside the yellow corn with pulses of magic, walking in time to the tick tock of her watch. She would... she had to... do something. Stop her, whoever she was. Then stop others with fiendfyre.

Eventually she reached a field and a house. It was a tool rickety thing held together by magic. A long gouge had been ripped out of the ground by something, slashing through crops and trees and blasting apart all in it's way.

Two women were fighting there, trading spells and magic, one with brown hair using blasts of red, the other with black hair using a multitude of rapid spells of a variety of types. The ground beneath them was filled with deep holes from explosions of curse magic, the air smelt evil. She wasn't sure which one was the enemy and she didn't recognize either so she took out both.

'Avada Kedavra. Avada Kedavra.' Two fast bolts of green shot out from her wand, hitting each person in turn. They both dropped dead, having not planned for some unknown combatant sniping them with blasts of death. Her headache started to get much worse, going from a mild pounding to a constant beat of pain. She then summoned the fiendfyre. It fought her. It tried to take control of her body, make her a warrior of fire. It wanted to consume everything. She denied it. Her magic kept an ironlike grip on the fiendfyre, twisting it around her and demanding its obedience. She got ready to attack.

* * *

Arabella Figg's home, present time.

* * *

Arabella Figg held her short wand out in one hand and the thin magic 101 book in the other and looked up at herself in her mirror, in a modest and proper red shirt, a form fitting skirt that went down to her knees. Her pose was right, her footwork was perfect, and she'd memorized all the words and thoughts (for more magic, be more dramatic it said). She moved it carefully in the proper motion and said the words to make the magic come for the fiftieth time. Nothing happened. The book said that if you practised enough even a squib could make simple magics work so she pushed on for the fifty first time that day.

Tufty, her ever so adorable but loud cat, gave a loud screech while standing at her window. She waved him down. 'I'm feed you soon, just be quiet now.' Tufty went quiet, staring at her with those big eyes. He'd probably seen a fox or a gnome. She turned back to the mirror, ready to practice again. Snowy and Mr Paws then joined in, screeching and scratching at the window.

She went to the window, pulled down her black curtains. Periodic flashes of rose red light emanated from the other side of the house, silent, though the house rumbled with each pulse like an earthquake had happened. Harry was in danger.

She quickly hurried to her mahogany drawer and yanked it open with trembling hands. A mirror lay there, gifted to her by Dumbledore for use if Harry was in danger. She flicked the surface. It went a soft rosy red then shattered in her hands, the glass dropping down to the ground. She hurried over to her kitchen, forcing her way through the door quickly to grab her phone and dialled the Weasleys. Mr Weasley had hooked his house up to a phone recently out of some whim. It connected. She heard an unknown soft feminine voice laughing on the other side and the phone started to glow red then cracked in her hands. She hurridly threw the phone down.

She went back to the living room and touched the portkey set upon her fireplace, a thick grey sock. It shook a bit, glowed red, and caught fire. All of her ways to escape were blocked, probably by magic.

She had to get Harry out. Dumbledore had trusted her to keep him safe, warn him. She had to get him. He was so young and with such a horrible family, he didn't deserve to have death eaters after him too. She shook her head. She had to find a way.

She went back to the drawer. She drew from it a few tools. A few handfuls of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder in a small sack, from the war. In a small box filled with old medals a flaregun to summon help with a few specially made bullets. Her car keys she picked up from a table. It would have to do. There was a backup portkey a few miles off that could let them escape- she knew wards didn't tend to have very large ranges. She went to the door and opened it.

Arabella saw the scene. Some woman with short brown hair, quite young by the looks of it. She didn't recognize her but she supposed Malfoy's lot may have just hired some foreign assassin. She looked Greek to her eyes. She'd quickly memorized the woman's appearance to tell Dumbledore later. The woman was kneeling over Harry and staring at him, running her disgusting glowing red rosy fingers all over his body and face like she was his lover. Arabella'd use that distraction.

She drew a handful of the darkness powder out of the little purple sack, and with the other hand drew her flaregun. She hurled the darkness out at the woman, who instantly stopped glowing as a cloud of unpenetrable darkness surrounded her. Then, aiming for the location she remembered, she fired the flaregun at the woman's face. There was a thudding sound and then a whistling as the flare gun released it's burning liquid over the woman's face.

'My eyes. Damn you, my eyes!' Yelled the woman. She then started to screech at Arabella in what she believed was Greek. She ignored the woman.

The flare gun had been designed to bypass wizard shields. It shot a bullet that exploded on content and released its flammable contents on whatever it hit. She'd once been faced with a death eater who'd tried to kill her, with a shield in front of him. She'd shot it above his head and let the fire drip down. He hadn't made it.

She hurried through the darkness and went to Harry. She grabbed him, lifting his light weight up, and dragged him away from the Greek assassin. He lightly stepped with her. He wasn't dead. She let loose a sigh of relief. She'd get him free yet. He was murmuring something under his breath but that was normal for a child traumatized like this.

She hurled him into the side seat of her comfy green Morris Minor, an old car that was cheap and easy to run and good enough for her. She got in the driving seat, turned the car on, and started accelerating. A mewing came from behind her. Her cats had already gotten in, anticipating her needs (and bypassing the locks), and were sitting patiently and hopefully in the back. She rubbed Tufty's big ears thankfully and he purred warmly. Then she turned and spoke to Harry

'You're safe now, Harry. You're safe. I'm going to get you somewhere better. Don't worry.'

'I miss Sappho. She was so dreamy. Can we go back to her please?'

'She's a disgusting death eater and you should stay away from her. She's no good for you.'

'But I want her.'

'Sometimes the things we want murder our family members and are disgusting sluts.' She slapped Harry across his face.

'Snap out of it.'

'Oww.'

Harry sat sullenly in the back. Then he spoke again.

'I still miss Sappho. She was nice to me.'

She sighed.

Arabella knew about love potions. She'd read through the text books for students, even tried her hand at brewing a potion. It hadn't gone well but she knew what they did. Love potions twisted your mind and made you obsess over a person. The degree varied from potion to potion but they all had the same purpose. That love couldn't be broken without magic but it could twisted into something bitter and hateful very easily unlike true love.

'She doesn't love you. She's using you as she's the servant of a dark evil man-'

'Voldemort, I know. I want to be used by her. I want it very bad.'

He knew about Voldemort? The dark lord of the death eaters, a being of great evil who had commanded an army of death eaters. She could use this.

'Do you know what Voldemort does to nice boys like you?'

'I know what Sappho does.'

'Sappho is going to give you back to Voldemort. He's going to chop you up and make you into a magic stew to make him stronger. Rip your limbs off. And after that Sappho and Voldemort are going to kiss and make out over your bone stew.'

'SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT.' shouted Harry, banging his fist against the side of the car.

While she was speaking he was nodding along and not really caring that much. Once she said that they would kiss his face had suddenly twisted into anger and he'd shouted. That was a sore point.

'She loves Voldemort, not you. She's his assassin, not yours. She'll never really care about you.'

Harry roared and smashed his fist against the side of the car. In a surprising display of strength for one so young he actually managed to dent the metal. It didn't matter too much. She couldn't afford to repair it but she was sure Dumbledore or McGonagall would be willing to give it a tune up after she saved the boy who lived.

He then spoke, his voice tense and his tone low and constant. 'I know what you're doing. Trying to turn me against her with jealousy. It's working. Thank you.'

She sighed in relief. He was Harry Potter. He'd slain Voldemort as a child. It just stood to reason that he'd be more intelligent and magic resistant than appearances indicated.

'I'm taking you to the Weasleys. They're a magical family that can protect you. You'll be safe there.'

Harry reached over to her and hugged her chest. With one arm she hugged him back, holding him close.

She spoke again to him. 'It's going to get better.'

They drove in, mostly in silence with the odd brief conversation. A spider swung at her from the ceiling and she batted it aside. She really hadn't driven enough, the car seemed infested with insects. Her cats were well fed at least. She continued driving, emerging from neat rows of houses to green countryside and hills with portkeys. They were close now.

There was a flash of light from behind them, rosy and red. She pressed down the accelerator, trying to push her old car faster. They were almost there.

The assassin woman swung around the car flying on a broom, glowing brightly, wand out, her long hair trailing behind her in the wind, now wearing a metal mask over her face with gem eyepieces. The woman pointed her wand at the car and shouted a spell loudly.

'Arresto momentum.'

The car lurched to a stop, the engine stalling as they were suddenly still at the highest gear, spluttering and screeching, while not actually moving.

Arabella leaned out the window and tossed a handful of the darkness powder at the woman, blocking her sight. She then hurriedly tried to restart the engine, get it moving again.

A red light smashed through the darkness, piercing the engine. The car stopped working completely.

Arabella grabbed Harry and yanked him out the car. She had to get him away somehow. She had to protect him. She opened the door and started dragging him along, hurriedly reloading her flaregun.

She pulled out through the darkness. She could see the hill where the portkey was. She thought she could make it there if they ran.

She heard the swish of a broomstick moving again in the darkness. She aimed for the spot where she thought the woman was and fired the second flare bullet, second of three. It swooshed and then there was a sound of it hitting some solid metal thing.

A moment later Sappho, the assassin, swooshed out of the darkness. The second shot seemed to have hit her left shoulder on a metal plate now visible through her clothing, burning and scarring the weaker joint with red and purple flames, but leaving the arm untouched due to the armor.

Sappho swished her wand at the pair of them, sending a red light shooting at them. Arabella desperately held Harry close to her, willing with every fiber of her being to protect him.

She felt something. Her magic arising from her body, forced out by a deep and intense love and need to protect. A shimmering blue shield arose around her, blocking the red spell. She had finally done it, used magic. She dragged Harry further on, despite his weak protestations.

Then Sappho raised a finger. It filled with an intense red light that lit up the place brighter than the sun. Then a beam of red light lanced from her finger.

It smashed through her protection like it wasn't even there, the shield shattering into broken blue fragments that evaporated. She felt a warmth on her chest. A hole, about the size of her fist, had been ripped open in her side.

She collapsed to the ground, Harry in her arms. She felt the flare gun be wrenched from her grip by some magic and tossed away.

Sappho strolled towards her and pulled off her mask. Her face was horribly burnt and damaged, her eyes completely annihilated by the burning liquid. She looked pissed. She walked straight past Harry and thrust her fist down to Arabella, grabbing her by her injury, lifting her as easily as though she weighed nothing at all.

'You really pissed me off, squib. I'm going to enjoy hurting you. Maybe not now, but sometime. You couldn't just let things be.'

Arabella spat in the woman's face.

'Not to a servant of Voldemort's like you. Harry, flee! I'll hold her.' She tried to scratch at Sappho with her fingers, but the woman knocked her hand away. She heard bones crack and break. Sappho then tossed her to the ground, breaking more bones. She felt a warmth spreading through her. From where Sappho's hand had touched her a rosy read glow was spreading through her vaporizing her flesh, making her nothing. She couldn't feel her legs, her chest, her arms...

She stared at Harry, mouthing words with a mouth that could no longer breathe. 'Flee.' Then she saw his body twist in impossible proportion and vanish as he apparated away. He was safe. She felt relief. She was an old woman. She'd lived a long good life, outlived her husbands. She-

Then she felt nothing.

Above her head flashing letters appeared, invisible to most but not to Sappho.

Punkte: 400 fur den Tod: 'Arabella'.

She looked at the words for a brief time, shook her head, and then apparated away.


	9. Chapter 9: Cutscenes pt2

Spoilers for canon.

Bellatrix defeated or killed Sirius Black, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Tonks, outmatched Hermione, Ginny and Luna simultaneously, was the only witch to deflect a spell from Dumbledore. Molly defeated Bellatrix. Remember that.

Harry will be back in the next chapter.

* * *

Molly hummed as she swished her wand around. She was surrounded by dozens of socks and shirts and trousers that had been building up. She cleaned and ironed and folded the clothes up neatly, sending each striped and dotted item of clothingto its place. A particularly naughty sock sought to flee her and hide behind a sofa, quivering with fear. With another flick of her wand she pulled it back, pairing it with it's sibling and sending them upstairs to their room.

It was the holiday and she was mostly alone at home, other than Ginny. Alone except for Ginny who was sleeping upstairs and didn't talk to her much. The rest of the family was out seeing the Ministry and enjoying that and so she was stuck at home with very little to do. Soon school would start and they would be out even more. She had little to do but amuse herself with her magic.

She heard a ringing and wandered over to the kitchen to check on the progress of her potion. A small, cozy room where the family could enjoy themselves together. She put her hand on the kettle, feeling the waves of warmth, and picked it up, sniffing in the purple fumes. It was almost ready. She held it up and swirled it, listening for the subtle difference in the sound as it transformed.

She heard a massive explosion outside and dropped the kettle, the thick purple potion fumes gushing out over the kitchen floor. She glanced up at the clock and flicked her wand out, vanishing the potion. Ginny was at mortal peril. This heirloom of the family would track each member of the family's danger levels and warn her of any danger and mortal peril was really bad. She had to save her daughter.

She quickly activated the family wards, and protective magic flew through the house, a golden shield of love and friendship. It wouldn't hold up against a concerted barrage but it would stop most spells once. She quickly unscrewed a pot from the counter and grabbed a handful of floo powder, tossing it at their fireplace and directing the fireplace to take them to the ministry. She then apparated upstairs to Ginny's room to take her away.

Her room looked like a storm had blown through it, books and drawings and clothes scattered by some force. There was a hole in the wall. She looked out and saw a woman with a scarred face and shoulder and long brown hair holding her daughter close to her, a wand pointed at her daughter's neck. Looking at her with her magical senses she could see the woman had a vast reservoir of power, deeper than the power of a hundred witches. That woman felt more like a dragon than a wizard.

'Mummy! Help!' shouted Ginny, her voice filled with pain and fear. The woman slapped her daughter. Molly clenched her fists in rage as she- the woman called out to her again.

'Give me Harry and she'll be unhurt. If not I'll slay her.'

She unfocused. She could hear a cry of pain in their attic, above. She apparated above. Harry was there, sliced into pieces by what looked like a faulty apparition. She quickly cast coagulation charms on him to stop the bleeding and healing charms to connect and seal flesh. A temporary measure but it would save his life while she saved her family.

He was quietly murmuring something. A list of German words of skills and abilities of some sort- broomstick riding, pottery, dancing, transfiguration- she had no real idea of why he was saying those things. Perhaps he'd been befuddled. She opened her third eye, her ability to see and track magic, and sought to see if he was charmed in some way.

He was wrapped in some charm, a horribly convoluted mix of time magic, space magic, and mental magics that snaked in and out of distant dimensions around him. She wouldn't figure that out any time soon, though it didn't seem hostile. She reached out her magic to it.

It reached out back to her and, above his head, words appeared in German indicating that they were now part of a team. That was pretty weird.

She didn't intend to give this likely Death Eater Harry though she had no clue how he had known to apparate to their house- probably due to this strange German magic. The time magic gave her an idea. She quickly cast a paradox stopping charm on herself and then cast a minute reversal charm.

A minute ago in time she re-appeared. Time magic was always tricky and it was best to avoid changing events in any obvious way so she'd seek to recreate them so that it would be easy for fate to make a closed time loop. She cast a disillusionment charm on herself and apparated outside. She could go to call in more aid but that carried the risk of causing a paradox. She trusted in her magic. She cast a summoning spell on the ground, quietly yanking out a large clump of earth.

A little later the woman apparated in. Molly pointed her wand at the woman, swinging the dirt in between them.

'Depulsio maximus'.

There was a massive boom as the woman was blasted away by the dirt, leaving a trail of destruction behind her, trees and hedges tossed aside like pins before the force of Molly's magic. After that she quickly cast glamour spells on herself to make her look like the woman. Then with another swish of her wand she vanished the wall leading to Ginny's room, cast a spell to mess up the room as she had imagined it looked, and summoned Ginny to her.

This wasn't actually what had happened in the first timeline. She imagined that the loud noise she had heard was actually Ginny being ripped out of her home by that evil bitch. Still, time magic went a lot more smoothly when similar things occurred in new timelines. She was resistant to paradox due to her spell but time magic didn't always play by the rules. Now she had to play the part of an evil bitch. She grabbed Ginny out of the air, pinned her, and stuck her wand to her daughter's throat.

'When your mother comes say 'mother help' or I'll kill you.' She felt a stabbing pain in her heart as she said those words. She wanted to just pull Ginny into her arms and say it'd be ok but she couldn't. Ginny nodded fearfully.

A few moments later her previous self stood in a window.

She kicked her daughter's leg and her daughter cried out 'Mommy please help!' Close enough. Molly dug her nails into her hand to still the growing pain in her chest and slapped her daughter across her beautiful little face and called out to her younger self.

'Give me Harry and she'll be unhurt. If not I'll slay her.' A moment later Molly apparated away.

She felt a mild tingling pain at the back of her head. Her mind was trying to integrate the separate sets of memories, of an evil woman with a magic just like hers or with a vast well of power. Of Ginny saying one thing or the other. Of there being a passage of dirt or not. It would be a lot more painful if she didn't have the charm on. She dismissed the pain- she'd handle it later, though it wouldn't go away till she'd spent half an hour working through the dissonance. She had things to do.

She stepped away from Ginny and flicked her wand at her. 'Portus'. Her daughter's top was charmed into a portkey that would transport her away to a safehouse and she was yanked away into the sky, screaming in terror . Now it was time to warn Dumbledore. She summoned up a memory of her first kiss with Arthur, the feeling as they had flown through the sky together on broomsticks, the rush of desire as their hands ran over each other.

'Expecto patronum.' A brightly glowing silvery bear stood before her, her patronus.

'Tell Dumbledore that I was-'

A red laser slashed through the patronus, destroying it, the bear roaring as misty silver broke apart on th eground.

'You women of Dumbledore are really starting to make me angry.' The brown haired woman was there. She was covered in sticks and dirt and leaves but didn't look much more injured than before. Molly slashed her wand at the woman, sending a purple whip like curse at her. The woman put her arm up in front of her and the curse harmlessly broke on her arm.

'I'm going to kill you then kill your pretty little family, Molly.'

She slashed her wand at the woman and shouted at her. 'I will never let you hurt my family!'

If weaker curses didn't work there were several that would pierce through magic resistance. The unforgivable killing curse. Fiendfyre. Various rituals. Potions, if she had had time to make them. She was willing to do many things to protect her family. She didn't actually think she needed to. The woman had protected her chest from her curse. She could see that the magical defences were much weaker there, though she had a steel plate protecting it charmed with various protective charms.

She had magic disrupting potions on hand. Magic tended to kill anything foreign that entered a witch's body and so for childbirth magic reducing potions were necessary. You had to be very good at potions to make a new child. She was pretty sure those would disrupt the protective magic on the armor despite their impressive strength. She just needed a suitable distraction so she could apparate in and then she could use a metal shaping charm to get inside the woman and attack her beneath her magic resistant skin.

The brown haired woman spoke. 'Good luck.' Her finger started to glow and then she slashed it at Molly.

Molly quickly apparated a hundred feet into the air, not wanting test her shields against that. She could see the magic had ripped through and annihilated a line across the country side, igniting trees and burning all in its way. Molly summoned a huge swarm of birds to attack the woman, guiding each one with her mind to slash and peck at the woman, charming a few to be intangible and hide in the ground. The woman responded sending out a spherical burst of red light that vaporized every crow within her reach. She quickly commanded the intangible birds to attack the woman.

This was her chance. The woman couldn't see her thanks to the pulse of light and would be briefly distracted.

She drew out the magic disrupting potion and apparated close to the woman. The woman was slashing her glowing red hand to destroy some of the crews that were clawing and pecking at her eyes.

Molly tossed the potion at the woman's chest and then quickly cast a metal shaping charm to open up the woman's armor. She stepped forward and thrust her wand forward, inside the woman's injured chest, up against her black heart.

The woman's eyes started to glow with a red light. Molly slapped her with her free hand, knocking the woman's head away with a powerful burst of wandless magic. The woman cried out in pain. Molly then focused her power and cast a flesh tearing curse inside of the woman. She ripped her arm out, covered in gore, and kicked the woman back down to the ground where she belonged.

The woman's flesh was beginning to rip itself apart, her face breaking and bleeding, bloody stains appearing on the tattered fabric of her clothes. She weakly tried to get up and failed.

She then spoke, coughing up blood. 'How could I have lost? How could I have failed so?' Molly placed her wand against the woman's forehead. 'You lost when you decided to attack a Weasley. There was never a chance I'd let you win. I will never let you hurt my children.' She flicked her wand and launched a vaporizing spell at the woman. It ripped through the woman's head and slew her. Molly then stood up and laughed in relief. She'd won, her family was safe.

Then she heard the other woman stand up again. She turned back, wand at the ready, a curse on her lips. The woman batted the spell away with a flick of her wand, directing it into a tree that was then covered in blue pulsating bils. This wasn't the woman she had been fighting. It was Bellatrix Lestrange, servant of he who must not be named, his lieutenant, her body undamaged and unmarked.

'Thank you. I've been very cooped up in there. Bound by her magic to silence. You've freed me.' Molly flicked her wand at the woman, sending a dark curse to make her blood boil. Bellatrix flicked her wand up again and blocked it with a shimmering yellow shield.

'You were locked up! In Azkaban!' Molly cried out furiously. This monstrosity shouldn't be free. Bellatrix cackled at her and nodded. 'I was. Now I am free I am going to kill and torture and maim you and your children, possibly not in that order. I have been looking forward to this.

Molly hadn't wanted to do this. Using dark magic like the killing curse meant a risk of imprisonment. She couldn't see any other alternative though, Bellatrix had to be stopped and she could see that the woman had all of the magic and protection the other woman had.

'Avada Kedavra' The green curse flew out at point blank range. Bellatrix's body turned into a red pulsating being of light and she jerked to the side, just outrunning the curse, sending a wave of red magic that ripped through the ground at Molly. Molly apparated up a hundred feet, away from the red light.

Bellatrix was there, inches away from where she'd apparated to, a curse glowing on the end of her wand, words coming from her mouth. Before the curse could complete Molly grabbed Bellatrix's arm and forcefully apparated with Bellatrix's arm away to a spot fifty feet below.

As she re-appeared she saw the arm was glowing red, beyond the blood that dripped from the other end. She hurriedly tossed it away and tried to apparate away, but hit an apparition ward. She hurriedly threw up a shield around the arm.

Bellatrix was somehow tracking her apparitions. She'd sacrificed an arm to attack her through an apparition- you couldn't trigger a spell like that to work unless you knew where it was working. It was impossible to magically track someone through apparition so that meant that she had some sort of tracker on her, and one she couldn't sense with magical senses as well. She could simply apparate away to somewhere safe but if Ginny had some similar tracker on her Bellatrix could simply apparate to her and kill her.

The arm exploded, blasting through her shield, throwing her back and sending up a massive cloud of dust that blocked her sight. Her skin burned and bubbled with the heat and power, enough to maim her if left untreated but nothing immediately harmful. She hurriedly pointed her wand up to her eyes and cast a spell, making her eyes into foe sensors.

'Ecthrorama.'

Many wizards had hoped for some sort of universal "Find my enemies" spell or some absolute tracking spell. Nothing of the sort existed. Wizard magic wasn't powerful enough to scan the entire earth or even anything much larger than a small village for one person with some particular feature. The way you got past that was with soul magic and mind magic. If you were family with someone powerful bonds connected your soul and theirs allowing you to detect their fate from afar as their clock did. You could do the same with enemies, detecting the transient pulses of hate that they sent towards you and running up that link. The same 'walking over my grave' feeling that would let someone sense when someone badmouthed their name would let you get flashes of the senses and memory of those who hated you with the Ecthrorama spell.

Bellatrix, as she knew from past duels when she was a young student and Bellatrix was a dark duelist with a flair for the dramatics at Hogwarts, had very good occulmency and would block those emotions to avoid her using the spell. She'd have to piss her off to work out how Bellatrix was tracking her. Or she'd have to kill her despite the spell. Fiendfyre was out, Bellatrix had better mastery of such dark magics, the killing curse was tricky with that very fast light step Bellatrix had. Rituals were an option, though they took time to set up. She'd either slug Bellatrix to death through her abnormal magic resistance or trick her into some trap until she could apparate safely again. She had to.

'Accio cleansweaper.' The broom flew to her hands. Agility. She could hear the booming sound of a red wave of power flying towards her, the dust starting to glow red. She swung her legs over the broom and flew over it, tossing a black spell at the origin.

Bellatrix blocked her spell with her arm and sent a spell back at her. Molly blocked it with a shielding charm, then twisted as a second silver arrow followed the first curse, punching through her shield, slicing a bloody gorge in her already injured shoulder. Bellatrix then apparated in front of her, sending out a pulse of red light. She quickly summoned up a shield, then flicked her wand to extend it behind her as Bellatrix did her light step behind her and summoned up a second pulse of red.

The shield, overextended, resisted the front red blast and broke under the second red blast from behind, slamming her off her broom. As she was tossed through the air she twisted round and flicked a curse at Bellatrix. She batted it aside with one arm, easily resisting it.

Well, this fight was going quite poorly. She'd have to try something else.

She drew a sheet of paper out of her top and cast a spell on it. The plantus spell let you plant a spell on an object, like a water control spell to let you send a message with a watery head. She cast depulsio plantus on it. She cast an animation spell on it, so it could levitate and fly around. She then cast the gemino charm on it so it would duplicate itself. She threw the paper out and it started duplicating itself.

From multiple angles spells of repulsion blasted at Bellatrix, tossing her around. Bellatrix apparated and did her light step, but the dozens of pieces of paper tracked her every movement, blasting her whenever she re-appeared, aided by the odd curse Molly tossed with quite a bit more power. Bellatrix called out to her, in bursts and spurts as she dodged the attacks.

"Molly, you can't beat me. I was the dark lord's most trusted servant and now have the power of the Titans at my disposal. You stand no chance."

"Your lord is dead, you're the servant of a corpse. Screw you." Molly swished her wand, slowing her landing and cast a quick healing charm on herself, landing on ruffled green grass. She could see three images. There was a man's face, a woman's face, and something very small she couldn't quite see crawling out of the corner of her eye. Perhaps the man was the Titan she was speaking of? Bellatrix had summoned some rosy turret like constructs that sent out blasts of light. They were killing her paper weapons very quickly, faster than they could duplicate. She had to end it. It was time to take a big risk. She was going to try the Fidelius Charm.

It was a very powerful charm that let you bury a secret within a soul and could bypass most magic resistance. She started hurriedly saying the words of the charm under her breath while she had the paper depulsio charms slice the ritual lines onto the ground near her. She had to get Bellatrix to go within the circle somehow. Bellatrix had already revealed her pattern.

She apparated into the circle. As expected, Bellatrix had apparated faster than her right next to her and was already casting a curse at her. The curse slammed into her side as she spoke.

'Fidelius. I accept your secrets, your memories, everything about your identity. I will keep it safe.'

After she said the first word bright magic slammed into Bellatrix, chains of light stabbing into her flesh and ripping out her memories and secrets. The fidelius charm wasn't something that was normally used offensively, but it worked well enough. Magic rarely took no for an answer.

Bellatrix sent out pulses of red light, slashed her wand to cast horrible curses, but the powerful charm magic turned them against her by hiding her memory of how to do each one after she used them. Her magic resistance slowed the progress of the spell but couldn't stop it.

"I- I won't lose!"

Molly stood behind a shield, casting healing charms on her injuries. She could see the figures more clearly now. Bellatrix. Some sort of insect hidden on her body, which she'd vanished away. An insane looking man.

"You already have."

"No. I won't. Chronus, I ask a favor! I'll pay the cost."

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't do anything. Chronus, the Greek time Titan. She was facing the Greek gods? She knew that the killing curse and fiendfyre could slay them from her history lessons but she couldn't make anything happen. She couldn't move a muscle.

From out of the air a young man appeared. He was nude and strongly muscled. His hair flew out wildly, with streaks of grey running through it. Power and magic crackled around him like a storm, the smell of time thick in the air.

"The usual price?" He said. He held out his hand, a spinning zodiac cycle floating over it.

Bellatrix nodded.

"I'll pay it." She pressed her hand to Chronus'

Molly started moving backwards, her body not following her mind. She did her charms in reverse, wounds opening up as memories flew back into Bellatrix. She couldn't stop it.

Then she was back in the circle, popping back into existence just after the apparition. A second, older Bellatrix was visible above the first one, and she quickly spoke.

'Fidelius. Now Molly, you're going to lose your memory of your little children too. I'm going to kill them so slowly-'

She apparated away into the forest. Then she quickly cast an hour reversal charm. A bit less than an hour ago, the magic erratic at the best of times, she re-appeared.

She would stop Bellatrix, stop Chronus. Pressing her hand into her curse wound she drew out blood

She couldn't remember what her husband's name was. But she could still remember that woman- whoever she was. She could remember that Greek Titan. She etched out the words with her blood. 'Stop her. Then stop others fiendfyre.' She quickly charmed her brother's watch to get her back to them in time. Then she- she wasn't sure what she had been doing. Red blood swelled from the cursewound in her chest...

* * *

The fire swayed around her, a weapon of war and death. Her head hurt so very bad, pounding like someone had thrust their fingers inside and scratched them across her brain. She could see blood out of the corner of her eyes, feel coils of temporal magic sway around her. She felt her mind revolt away from her control, and the fiendfyre sought to use that advantage, surging towards her, hot and deadly. It strained and yanked at her control. She had to give it a target or she wouldn't be able to hold it much longer. An alarm on her watch went off, ringing in a loud piercing voice. She shrugged, and tossed the fire forward, seeking to consume all before her.

As she did two figures appeared, the Black haired woman again and some young man. The flame wrapped around them, crushing and seeking to attack them. They both responded quickly with fierce magics, rosy red explosions and voids of nothingness and reversed time, but she'd had too long to build up her fire to be stopped by such things. More fire rushed in past the magics, stabbing at them and ripping hot gorges out of their body before being forced back again and again. Every time it seemed like they'd won she launched a new attack.

She heard a booming sound to her right. She glanced to the side. A tall old male with a beard. He spoke.

"Stop this... person"

She wasn't sure who he was but she was sure that burning people felt good. She sent a rush of fiendfyre at him, dozens of massive snakes slamming down on him.

Water exploded around him, a river rushing out of nothingness to fight and grapple with her water. She pushed back, trying to boil it all way, throwing a sea of fire at him. He growled, and shouted out.

"Eos, make your slave return the woman's memories."

The black haired woman changed into another brown haired woman, her skin burning bright red, who then shouted out.

"Molly Weasley, I return to you all that is yours. I end the Fidelius."

It all came back to her in a rush and with it a rush of pain as she realized she'd killed herself. Her head was hurting even worse. Still, she didn't intend to stop before all threats to her family were dead. Fiendfyre interfered with teleportation so they couldn't flee either.

With the renewed strength of her family's love behind her she pushed harder with the fire, trying to break the three enemies. She knew from her history lessons that Gods could die- there was a reason wizards were dominant. Gods were much stronger but far less numerous. Poseidon (she recognized him now) shouted out to her.

"I promise you, if you free us we will not attack your family."

"Yeah, I don't trust you. If I kill you you definitely won't find any way around that oath."

She started hurling silent killing curses at Poseidon, who hurriedly danced away from them, his vast magical water constructs collapsing as the murderous magic slashed through them. She wanted to make a deal, but she was sure he could offer better than that. Or he could die.

"The cave? I know where your daughter is. If you free us Bellatrix and Sappho will stay away from your family forever or face our wrath and I and Chronus will actively work to protect your family and Chronus will fix your paradox, so I swear on the river Styx."

That was a good deal. Oaths on Styx were binding and she couldn't afford to lose her family, wouldn't let her daughter die (how had he tracked her?). She was so tired.

"I accept."

She started pulling back her fire. The deal was done.

* * *

Harry woke up. He hurriedly checked his score, not sure how much longer he'd have before he fell unconscious again. He'd been frantically looking for a 400 point skill he could buy to save himself and finally save his friends.

He now had 15400 points...

That was a lot.

* * *

"_NOT MY DAUGHTER_, YOU _BITCH_!"


	10. Chapter 10: Lip Lock

As usual- reviews fuel my motivation. All the earlier chapters are translated now I believe, German to English, so you can understand them better.

Thanks to Aristane for the German translation.

* * *

He'd almost died.

He'd apparated, tearing space and time apart with a pulse of magic. You weren't supposed to do it without a wand. It was dangerous enough as it is, worse when you did it wandless, worse still if you were in a bad mental headspace and he was still at that time reeling from the death of Mrs Figgs and the feeling that he'd betrayed his true love Sappho.

He'd torn himself into pieces and collapsed in the Weasley's attic. His lifeblood had dripped red on the wooden floor as the sunlight poured in from a window. The family's ghoul had hidden away in fear, making panting noises and little shrieks. He was alone and dying.

Mrs Weasley had saved him. As he had desperately flicked through the skill menu trying to find something that could save him she'd cast her healing charm. She'd then fought and, given the fact that he was lying in Bill's old bed, defeated or warded off Sappho. He owed her big.

He'd had that a lot recently. He'd been forced to let others take the risks for him. Mrs Figgs had died protecting him from Sappho, his horrible but still family family of the Dursleys had been ripped apart. He'd brought danger to Mrs Weasley's house. The woman was like a mother to him and he'd risked her and her family. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt her or Ron or Ginny.

He swung his legs to the ground, his fists clenched, his face tight and focused. He'd make it right. Bellatrix was the cause of this mess, possessed by Sappho or not. He'd have to stop her. Malfoy too. The Slytherins were all snakes, conspiring against him to hurt his family. He remembered what Fenrir had said. He'd make them pay for what they'd done. This point ability would give him the power. He'd use that power to protect his people.

He stomped to the door, then heard someone on the other side. He then noticed (he had been distracted) a small flashing green arrow which pointed to the other side. He stepped back as Mrs Weasley entered.

"Harry, I heard you and- what is it?" She was injured- a curse wound on her side that was poorly healed, several scratches and bruises on her face. He'd done this. He turned away in shame and replied to her.

"Nothing. It's nothing!" He slammed down onto the bed and grabbed it tightly.

"Calm down. She's gone. You're safe." She said, frowning at him.

He stood again and paced back and forth. "I am calm. I'm calm. Calm as a person can be when they have a damn death eater attacking everyone they care about." He said, lips tight.

She paused, letting him pace back and forth as she thought. Then she spoke. "It's not your responsibility to deal with them. You're just a child. You can let us handle it."

Harry slammed his hand against the wooden wall and spoke to her, his tone shrill.

"I'm not just a child. I'm the person who has to handle Lord Voldemort's assassins. I can't be just a child."

"Don't shout at me."

He sighed, turned, and stepped towards her. "I'm not shout-"

In an instant she had her wand out and Harry couldn't move. He hadn't even seen her flick her wand, it was so fast. Frozen solid he fell forward to the floor. He could smell the polish, see the old damaged wood, and couldn't move.

Mrs Weasley spoke calmly, holding her wand softly and confidently in her hand. "I'm very sorry that I had to stop you. I think it must be that German magic surrounding you. I broke the love spell but I couldn't break that. I'll try to make something stronger- Dumbledore entrusted me with your safety and I'll guarantee it."

Harry couldn't lose this power- the power to grow stronger that this supposedly German magic gave him. He was pissed off, he could feel that, and with good reason. Mrs Weasley's power was strong though. He couldn't move anything other than his eyes. He mentally summoned the skills thing. He had an idea of how he could escape.

His skills were in three tiers that he could see. There were the weaker ones, like pottery making or history, that cost 100, 200, or 400 points for each power up. There were powerful but common ones like intimidation and broomstick riding that cost 1000, 2000, 4000, or 6000 for each powerup. There were a few very rare ones that started at 5000, ones like Parseltongue. He was looking for wandless magic.

There, he had it. He recognized the symbol next to it- a witch was turning a flower into a butterfly. He was at the level schlammblut, the second level. It cost 2000 of his points to take it to the next level, tierwesen. He hurriedly blinked his eyes at it.

He felt a rush of knowledge and understanding fill him. He could sense the magic around him better, sense the power that bound him. Tendrils of power were coiled along every muscle in his body holding him still. He tore at those tendrils with his own magic.

They resisted him, most of his magic being forced back. His head started to burn with pain.

He'd not been repulsed fully though. He'd freed his mouth, his neck and looked up at Mrs Weasley, about to leave the room.

He called out. "I'm sorry! Please don't go. It's my mother's magic. I don't want to lose it."

Two words popped up over her head. Erfolg: Lügen.. He'd succeeded at something.

Mrs Weasley turned, and he felt a sinking darkness of guilt inside him, as she looked at him. As he did his wandless magic faltered and the spell re-asserted itself, fully binding him again. "Lily gave you that? You have her her eyes too. And her strength with wandless magic." Her tone was warmed and gentler. She slowly drew her wand out and flicked it at him. He felt his body free itself.

Taking a deep breathe, he spoke slowly. "She gave me a lot. I don't want to lose anything she gave me. She's my mother. I'm sorry about getting angry earlier, I'm just so frustrated. I'll be better." Ausfall: Lügen.. He'd failed at whatever.

She frowned at him. "You're not sorry- I'm a mother too. I can tell when you're lying to me. If you can keep your temper down we'll be fine though. Avoid making poor choices." As she said those last words the temperature of the room went down a few degrees, the air crackled with power, and as Mrs Weasley looked at he saw a darkness and power behind her eyes. He gulped, nodded, and swallowed.

"I'll be good."

A moment later her face went from harsh and dark to happy and cheerful.

"Well, now that's over, I've got lots of delicious food made for you. My family came back briefly after the attack, but since I dealt with it they left." She looked down, sighed, and then looked up again at Harry, a keen and slightly desperate look on her face. "You look like you could do with some food. I'll make sure you're no longer starving."

He got up and started to walk with her.

"So what were you saying about that German magic? I don't know much about it."

They slowly paced down the hallway, Mrs Weasley limping across, one hand on the wall.

"It's wrapped around you, inside you. Why, what does it do?"

"Gives me messages for some reason."

She nodded. They turned round to a pair of stairs.

"Yes, I saw one earlier. It said Success: Intimidation."

Harry stopped walking.

"Hey wait. You can speak German?"

Mrs Weasley nodded. "They revolutionized alchemy- they're worth learning if you want to get anywhere with magic."

"Could you teach me? What does..." He spoke slowly and carefully. "Tiiieuhweeeehsurn mean? Or Haaaarbuhluuuut? It might make me feel closer to my mother." It might do many things. But he really had to avoid lying with someone who could see and understand the symbols. What if she looked up?

She smiled warmly and one armed embraced his shoulder, keeping some distance from him.

"I'd be happy to help you get closer to your mother. Lily was a wonderful woman. We did some amazing magic together and it'll be good to touch some of her work again."

Harry went fully into the hug. A moment later Mrs Weasley hugged him back. He'd been very tense. But he'd get through this. Then they started off again.

Soon they reached the kitchen again, small and cozy and comfortable. An intense aroma of food hit him.

In front of him was a huge feast. Chicken and Ham pie, cake, potatoes, ice cream, mince pies, cauliflower, soups. The small table was packed with. He blinked. Was he supposed to eat all of this?

"Excuse me." Ginny pushed by, coughing as she went.

Harry felt a rush of blood and desire, remembering their kiss. Then he felt something wet and slimy on his shoulder. He looked and saw a very large snotty boogie hanging on his shoulder, all yellow and slimy.

"Ehhhh." He hurriedly flicked the boogie aside.

Mrs Weasley shook her head disgusted, and flicked her wand. The wet patch and the boogie vanished. "I raised you to use a handkerchief Ginny."

"Sorry mum." Ginny sniffled, and wiped her snotty nose with her sleeve. "Oh hello Harry." She waved at him. She was more confident than he'd remembered. More snotty too.

"Hello err..." he knew her name, but he was smart enough to pretend he didn't since he hadn't been introduced.

"My name is Gi- Gi-" Molly flicked her wand again and a shimmering blue bubble appeared around Ginny's mouth and nose, a Bubblehead charm.

"-Ginny!" She sneezed in the direction of the food. The flecks of snot and fluid hit the edge of the charm and slowly vanished.

That had dampened his lust. He'd had a huge crush on her when she was older but he should really avoid trying to seduce the preteen version of Ginny. He was an adult, mentally. Physically too in some ways- his strength and speed had increased if anything from when he was in sixth form to now when he was in a ten year old's body.

Molly walked over to her daughter and pulled her into her arms tightly. "She's been pretty sick. Don't worry, the food is fine. Tuck in."

"Sure, thank you."

* * *

He felt very full. His strength hadn't reduced, despite his smaller body. His stomach seemed to be able to hold as much food too, somehow. That hadn't stopped Mrs Weasley's enthusiasm though, and she seemed to take it as a personal challenge whenever he managed to empty his plate. Ginny had been fun too. She was chatty, more confident, and despite her illness, very lively. Right now he was 'trying out for the first time' the family's old broomsticks with her while Molly watched and occasionally summoned targets for them to hit or called out advice.

Ginny was very friendly. Despite the earlier... incident he was starting to feel the sorts of feelings he'd felt for her before.

That green arrow was still pointing at Molly. He wondered why. He remembered what she'd done to him. Touched him with her magic somehow. He looked carefully at her. Then a little message popped up over her head. Molly Weasley. Hohe zauberer, Verbündete. The first bit was about her level- level 6 of power, plus hohe whatever that meant. The second part...

A ball whacked into his head from Ginny. He span around, dazed, though he managed to grab the ball before it flew away.

Ginny called out to him, her voice breathy. "No zoning out!"

He grinned at her. "Slave driver."

"You know you love it."

He flew up to her to continue the game. He had an idea though.

"Mrs Weasley, what does Verbundete mean?"

"Team mate?" She looked up. "Ah I see. High wizard Molly. Has a nice ring to it."

"Ginny, want to be my team mate? My Verbundete?"

"Sure, what do you want to play?"

As she spoke, before she consented, a second green arrow appeared, pointing towards Ginny.

This was something he could use.

If he could find Malfoy or Bellatrix he could use this to track them down. He could kill them finally, away from any allies if he could make them his team mates. He would kill to save what was his, slaying and torturing anyone that stood in his way. He laughed and spoke again, rubbing his hands together.

"The game of life. I want to play the game of life."

Translation.

Ausfall: Failure

Erfolg. Success.

Lügen. Lying.

Hohe zauberer. High wizard.

Verbündete=ally


	11. Chapter 11: Unspoken plan guarantee

Harry grasped the broomstick and pushed it down, narrowly dodging the deadly green flash of light that came his way. Behind him he felt a boom as it exploded, shaking him He felt the air rush past him as he plummeted to the ground. He flicked his eyes over to the display.

Evasion. Monster (321/4000). Your natural ability to dodge harm and danger. 'If you want to succeed in life there will always be bludgers in your way. You just have to dodge them and shoot whoever fired them.' Gunther the Violent.

He sensed something come after him, an odd whine at the back of his skull warning him, and twisted up away from the ground. Too late. His head started to pound as he was tossed off his broom. He fell to the ground, slamming into it faster than a speeding car, his bones making a sharp crunch as he fell down.

Ow.

He looked up at the worried Molly Weasley, who had just knocked him off the broom. She ran over to him.

"Are you alright Harry?"

Was he? He looked down. His leg felt like it had fractured, and was pulsing with agonizing pain. He was covered in bruises and scratches. But he could get up. He swayed to his feet, and begun to clamber back upon the hovering broom which Molly had kept from crashing, unlike him. He glanced at his stat board- in German, now understandable thanks to Molly's teaching, and checked his stat levels.

Durability. Mud-blood. 1821/2000. The natural ability of a wizard to resist harm. 'True toughness is in the soul, not the body.' Andros the Invincible.

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's… ahh." His leg pulsed with pain as he swung onto the broom. He swayed a bit. "No, no I'm not good. Can you heal me up?"

Molly nodded. He swung off the broom, and sat down on the green grass a little away from the Weasley dwelling, smelling the fresh air and plants. She hurried over him and begun casting healing charms.

"Do you think it's working? Every time you've hit me with a blast, I've been injured. I'm not shrugging them off. And I'm only up 20 durability points in three days."

"I've been increasing the power of the blasts. It's been working. The increase in durability this ability is granting you is incredibly fast, compared to most. Those blasts I'm hitting you with now are as powerful as a hand grenade and you're shrugging them right off."

Harry looked up sharply at Molly's kind face. "Shouldn't I be dead from that?"

Molly waved her hand. "Pssh. Wizards aren't so weak as to die from a little grenade."

Harry remembered back. Hagrid had seemed very uncaring when Vernon had been waving that shotgun in his face. And he remembered those comments from Hagrid about his parents being able to survive a car crash.

"So are wizards bulletproof?"

She waved her hands in an uncertain gesture, and got back to healing. "Sort of. We're a lot tougher than muggles. But a lot of it is your magic protecting you. Your magic will soften the ground when you land. People have even known to bounce. If someone fires a rifle at you the bullet might turn into a dove and fly away. We heal much faster too. It's very different with spells though. They stick" She patted Harry's shoulder. "All done. Remember, if a dark wizard threatens you- one of Malfoy's friend's-"

Harry nodded and spoke quickly. "Leave, and I'll call a responsible adult. Yeah, I get it. No bravery." And above her head, Erfolg: Lügen. Success, lying.

"And that- wait." She glanced up at the sign, then down at him.

Detect bloodlust. Muggle (30/1000). The skill had no description yet. But he saw the number tick up to 40, and felt an intense sense of fear and being watched. By Molly. Gulp.

He got up, his leg healed, and started walking off, very carefully not looking her in the eyes.

"Well, I think I should be heading inside, it's late..."

"HARRY!"

* * *

Harry flexed his sore fingers. Molly had healed everything she'd done, but after his little slip she had stepped up the training a lot. And some injuries took a while to heal. He was sore all over and had a host of cuts and bruises and it felt great. He'd made more progress with that than he had in all of the rest of his training. Brutality and anger apparently worked really well with training. He was no stranger to pain either. He should work out ways to piss her off more.

He needed to be tougher. He needed to be better at dodging spells. He had limited points to do it with. He was working on fixing that, but he had other priorities for what points he had.

He had a plan to get more points too.

* * *

Harry looked at the display. Charms. Mud-blood. (5/2000) Spells which add or take away properties from objects. 'I don't need a cloak to become invisible.' Albus Dumbledore.

He put in 1995 points, then 4000 more, and 8000 after that. He was now a pure blooded wizard, apparently, according to the racist words of his odd power which for some odd reason was quoting Dumbledore He glanced around.

He was in _Flourish and Blotts_ the magical book store. Books filled with odd words or no words or runes filled the place, stacked to the ceiling, some of the books wiggling about asking to be read. The smell of musty old book was in the air and other students were busting around. He opened the book in front of him, and found the charms he needed. The disillusionment charm. The flying charm. A variety of protective charms that would stop pursuit. The protean charm. He memorized the wand motions, the words. It came much easier to him than before. He then snapped the book shut and left.

He needed more of these points so he could level up. And the best way to do that was by killing people, as far as he knew. He knew of one particularly evil bastard who deserved death, who had been raised as a death eater and betrayed them all.

He ducked into an ally. He used most of his remaining points to level up a few skills- disguises, knife fighting, romance and forgery. He'd bought various makeups, wigs, clothes, paints, shoes, things which he hoped would be enough to let his new skill work. He set to work making himself taller, different in skin colour, and disguising his scar. He had several knives as well, along with a good amount of rophenol.

He, Harry Potter, was going to kill Draco Malfoy. Today.


	12. Chapter 12: Perfect Crime

Step 1. Get Draco Malfoy hot and bothered.

He remembered the day when Draco had first come to Diagon Alley, the arrogant little twit. He remembered the hour too. So he'd come before and awaited Draco in his disguise and followed him along, magical animals crying out and on occasion speaking, cauldrons bubbling odd green liquids, books asking to be read.

The wind was blowing again. He poked his wand out of his robe, and quietly (he still wasn't that good at silent spells) muttered the words for the hot air charm and added it to the wind. Draco wiped the sweat off his forehead, his robes starting to get several large sweat patches near the armpits and back.

The essential problem with killing a wizard was that they were tough. Oh yes, you could use the some monstrous black curse to slay them but even that was no guarantee. Ron had survived having his insides filled with slugs. He Harry had survived multiple collisions with the ground at an illegal road speed. Unless the curse did a lot of damage it could be healed and survived, and they attracted a lot of attention.

You could use the killing curse, but that attracted even more attention. It was an illegal curse which carried serious penalties and there may even be spells to monitor it here…

Harry blinked. And should he be killing people? Malfoy hadn't even done anything yet. Why hadn't he thought of that. He remembered Dumbledore's words before, of the power of love and-

Ah, Malfoy was turning into Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. Harry put his game face on and got ready. It was a very nice little shop. The sort of quaint little place you'd find in a lot of english villages with a friendly old man there to sell you ice cream. Plus magic. The owner was a nice guy. Knew a lot about the history of magic. Gave him free ice cream. He'd enjoyed staying there.

He glanced around. No one was watching him, no one running up to speak to the boy who live. His disguise with some makeup on his face and blonde hair seemed to be holding up. He glanced idly around at nearby shops, the nearest one being a second hand book store. He supposed he could be like Hermione and learn every spell, but he didn't see much point. With his new ability he could pick them up pretty fast, and all you normally needed was protego, accio, lumos, expelliarmus, and a broomstick. You could pick up the rest in a spell book when you needed them, forget them at the end of the term and move on with more important things.

Draco was coming out, muttering something something pureblood nonsense. Chocolate ice cream, with nuts. That was important. Harry quietly muttered the protean charm on Draco's ice cream, and went inside to buy some nutty chocolate ice cream, and cast protean on that too.

Step 2. Drug Draco. He had checked and drugs could affect wizards. If you actively resisted them they had less affect, and some mild poisons he'd tried had likewise had less effect even without resisting them but they worked.

The protean charm, which had before been beyond his (but not Hermione's) skill linked two objects. When you heated up one the other heated up. When you drugged up one object the other object also got drugged up.

Lucius had been with Draco when he first arrived, but had left go buy books. The plan initially had been to knock him out if he was close, but Lucius apparently had better things to do than get drugged up. His mother, likewise, had left to do her thing.

Harry followed behind, a little distance away. His sneak skill, at monster level happily, was slowly going up and it seemed good enough to keep Draco from noticing him.

Step 3. Clear the scene. Draco was heading to Madam Malkin. That was a problem. In the street he'd be in the view of passerbys, inside she'd be fussing over him while he trash talked Hagrid. So, he'd worked out a solution.

He remembered that Madam Malkin had left in his second year to visit Which Witch's fashion competition. He'd looked up some of the writing of one of the fashion designers who ran Which Witch and wrote a romantic and loving bit of poetry to Madam Malkin's dresses, praising it to high heaven and begging her to come immediately, to apparate or floo off to talk, saying she must come now.

Then he'd seen the failure signs.

So he'd repeated that again and again till he'd seen success signs for both the romance and the forgery checks.

Those little signs were very helpful.

As Draco got close to the shop he cast the flying charm on the little scroll and gave it a few quiet instructions. It whistled past Draco into the shop. He then took out his crushed Rophenol pills and sprinkled them onto his fast melting ice cream. He followed Draco in and heard an excited squeal of joy from inside.

The place was filled with clothes of all sorts of fantastic sorts. Clothes that shimmered with rainbow colour, ones that danced and wiggles, shoes that tapped when you came close, and lots of more mundane clothes that just sat there but which presumably had very nice charms.

Madam Malkin, her body and face happy, stood in front of the fireplace. "Shop is closed- oh, Draco- Malfoy do you mind if I go for just a little while."

Draco swayed, a bit confused, absurd amounts of rophenol now coursing through his veins. "Murr?"

With no objection from him, Madam Malkin stepped into the fireplace, flooing away to wherever in Paris.

Harry hurriedly cast muffliato, the protection charms which would hopefully stop him being detected, spelled up his ice cream to fly, and drew his knife.

Step 4. Kill Draco. His favourite part.

As he stepped forward Draco swung round. He stepped away, suddenly regaining some strength and Harry stepped closer.

It wasn't even close, despite Draco's magic quickly fighting away the drugs. Harry hadn't lost any of the physical strength and speed of his sixth year, despite being in an eleven year old body and Draco was still an eleven year old boy. He manhandled Draco around and stabbed him repeatedly in the heart, neck, and eyes till Draco was utterly dead. 1000 points.

Well, that wasn't hugely useful. He'd expected more, Draco being a wizard and all. Oh well. Maybe Draco was a muggle in terms of the system and actual skill, and just like his magical skills cost a 1000 to raise to the next level, only offered a 1000 exp? Who knew. Still, better than nothing, and he'd killed a death eater in training. He picked up the ice cream, cast the disillusionment charm on himself (since he was splattered with blood) and walked out.

As he did Lucius Malfoy burst out of the second hand book store next to him, and a scream rose up from further along, near Ollivander's. He carefully avoided Lucius as the man burst into the store, and twisted past Draco's mother as she ran towards them. Apparently they had some way of finding out what happened? No clue how. Neither seemed to have any idea he was there.

No pursuit followed him, and he was able to duck into an alleyway, apparated away and change into a fresh set of clothes, burning the old ones in case they could track him by blood. He dismissed the charm on his ice cream, and drew out a charmed parchment fashion love letter, the only physical evidence left, and incendio'd it.

He diffindo'd the drugged up top of his ice cream off, and started licking it, walking away. It tasted delicious. Like victory, like another win for the light, like chocolate nuttiness.

It had been the perfect crime.

* * *

Harry was on fire this chapter. He beat every roll by a large margin, dodging any attempt to track him or stop him. The prep work definitely helped of course.


End file.
